City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Atlanta, GA (100.1) and Salt Lake City, UT (100.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Atlanta, GA goes as far as $100,800 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 23% in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,033 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Salt Lake City, UT ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.2% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- 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
| Atlanta, GA | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,810 in Salt Lake City | $99,197 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Salt Lake City, UT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,033/yr.
66 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.8%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$1,033/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Atlanta → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | −6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | −6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | −6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | −6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | −6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $77,920 | $77,294 (+0.9%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $129,600 | $128,559 (−3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $82,100 | $81,441 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $85,890 | $85,200 (−15.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.