City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 7.4% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $107,400 in Salt Lake City, UT 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 $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,566 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Cleveland, OH to Salt Lake City, UT ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by +7.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.8% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- 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
| Cleveland, OH | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,394 in Salt Lake City | $93,115 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,456/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 | 16% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,566/yr.
47 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,566/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Cleveland → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $77,920 | $72,555 (−5.1%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $129,600 | $120,677 (+8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $82,100 | $76,447 (−4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $85,890 | $79,976 (−4.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.