City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 4.5% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $104,500 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.6% moving from Anchorage, AK to Salt Lake City, UT ($120,348 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.6% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,682 in Salt Lake City | $104,513 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
83 Strong offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Anchorage → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $61,722 | −7.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $74,678 | −7.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $89,508 | −7.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $106,437 | −7.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $125,776 | −7.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $77,920 | $81,436 (+2.7%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $129,600 | $135,449 (+30.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $82,100 | $85,805 (+4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $85,890 | $89,766 (−22.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.