City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Ogden, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 3.2% higher than in Ogden, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Ogden, UT would need about $103,200 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,281 in Ogden, UT. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 20% in Ogden, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,271 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Ogden, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Chicago, IL to Ogden, UT ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.7% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Ogden, UT: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Ogden, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,867 in Ogden | $103,235 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,281/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $48,900 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Ogden, UT MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Ogden, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Ogden |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 78.8 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Ogden, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,271/yr.
79 Strong offer
Ogden, UT → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$1,271/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Ogden, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Ogden, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Ogden, UT | Real change, Chicago → Ogden |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | −7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | −7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | −7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | −7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | −7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Ogden, UT | Ogden pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $63,910 | $65,977 (−15.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $109,880 | $113,434 (−15.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $82,010 | $84,663 (+2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $81,840 | $84,487 (−15.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.