City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 6.4% higher than in Provo, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Provo, UT would need about $106,400 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $1,265 in Provo, UT. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 20% in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $852 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.6% moving from Baltimore, MD to Provo, UT ($121,785 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.0% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Baltimore, MD | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,014 in Provo | $106,368 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $48,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Provo, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$852/yr.
89 Strong offer
Provo, UT → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$852/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Provo, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Provo, UT | Real change, Baltimore → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $61,722 | −7.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $74,678 | −7.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $89,508 | −7.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $106,437 | −7.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $125,776 | −7.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Provo, UT | Provo pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $62,930 | $66,937 (−12.4%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $131,210 | $139,565 (+0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $75,700 | $80,520 (−5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $81,780 | $86,987 (−12.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.