City comparison
Columbus, 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 5.7% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $105,700 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 $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,566 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Columbus, OH to Salt Lake City, UT ($111,065 → $106,437), while prices change by +5.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.3% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (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
| Columbus, OH | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,655 in Salt Lake City | $94,647 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/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 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,566/yr.
52 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,566/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Columbus → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $61,722 | −9.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $74,678 | −9.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $89,508 | −9.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $106,437 | −9.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $125,776 | −9.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $77,920 | $73,749 (−5.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $129,600 | $122,663 (+0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $82,100 | $77,706 (−4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $85,890 | $81,293 (−3.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.