City comparison
Canton, OH vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Provo, UT are 9.9% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $109,900 in Provo, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,265 a month in Provo, UT versus $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Provo, UT and 13% in Canton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,566 a year higher in Provo, UT than in Canton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Canton, OH to Provo, UT ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by +9.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.8% in real buying power.
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Canton, OH | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,872 in Provo | $91,015 in Canton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $846/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,810 | $48,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Canton | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.1 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 96.9 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Canton, OH → Provo, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,566/yr.
41 Weak offer
Provo, UT → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.9%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$1,566/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Canton, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Provo, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Canton, OH | Provo, UT | Real change, Canton → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −12.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −12.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −12.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −12.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −12.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Canton, OH | Provo, UT | Provo pay in Canton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,940 | $62,930 | $57,276 (−26.5%) |
| Software Developers | $105,500 | $131,210 | $119,421 (+13.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,170 | $75,700 | $68,898 (−4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,610 | $81,780 | $74,432 (−6.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.