Overall
- Anniston-Oxford
- 85.9
- Gadsden
- 85.7
Diff -0.3 RPP
Anniston-Oxford vs Gadsden
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Gadsden is 0.3% less expensive than Anniston-Oxford.
0.3% less expensive
Gadsden, AL is 0.3% less expensive than Anniston-Oxford, AL on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 85.7 vs 85.9). A $100,000 salary in Anniston-Oxford buys about the same as $99,656 in Gadsden; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 85.9 (Anniston-Oxford) vs 85.7 (Gadsden)
- $100k in Anniston-Oxford ≈ $99,656 purchasing power in Gadsden
- Rents drives the gap (-1.0 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair AL:AL 85.9→85.7
PHOTO-FINISH · SAME-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-BELOW · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- SAME-STATE Same state · AL
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-BELOW Both below 100
- PP-PAR PP near-par
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Anniston-Oxford
85.9
Cost Index
Gadsden
85.7
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Anniston-Oxford, AL and Gadsden, AL are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.3 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Rents creates the largest separation: Gadsden is 1.0 points lower. But goods move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
Both metros remain below the U.S. benchmark of 100. This comparison chooses between two below-average price levels; “more expensive” here does not mean nationally expensive.
For a housing-sensitive move, validate the rent gap first: HUD Fair Market Rent and the actual unit size can overturn what the blended index implies. On the BEA ratio alone, $100,000 in Anniston-Oxford corresponds to $99,656 in Gadsden.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Anniston-Oxford
- 96.4
- Gadsden
- 96.4
Diff 0.0 RPP
Services
- Anniston-Oxford
- 87.1
- Gadsden
- 86.7
Diff -0.4 RPP
Rents
- Anniston-Oxford
- 54.7
- Gadsden
- 53.7
Diff -1.0 RPP
| Category | Anniston-Oxford | Gadsden | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 85.9 | 85.7 | -0.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 | 0.0 |
| Services | 87.1 | 86.7 | -0.4 |
| Rents | 54.7 | 53.7 | -1.0 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Anniston-Oxford 85.9
Gadsden 85.7
Goods
Anniston-Oxford 96.4
Gadsden 96.4
Services
Anniston-Oxford 87.1
Gadsden 86.7
Rents
Anniston-Oxford 54.7
Gadsden 53.7
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Anniston-Oxford would need to be in Gadsden for the same purchasing power:
| In Anniston-Oxford | In Gadsden | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $49,828 | $-172 |
| $75,000 | $74,742 | $-258 |
| $100,000 | $99,656 | $-344 |
| $150,000 | $149,483 | $-517 |
$ in Anniston-Oxford = in Gadsden
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (85.9 → 85.7), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gadsden more expensive than Anniston-Oxford?
Gadsden is 0.3% less expensive than Anniston-Oxford. The overall cost index is 85.7 vs 85.9 (national average = 100).
What salary in Gadsden equals $100K in Anniston-Oxford?
A $100,000 salary in Anniston-Oxford has the same purchasing power as $99,656 in Gadsden. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Anniston-Oxford and Gadsden?
Rents in Anniston-Oxford are indexed at 54.7 while Gadsden is at 53.7 (national average = 100). Anniston-Oxford has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.