City comparison
Greeley, CO vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Greeley, CO (100.2) and Salt Lake City, UT (100.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Greeley, CO goes as far as $100,700 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,238 in Greeley, CO. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 20% in Greeley, CO.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,692 a year in CO and $3,534 in UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.3% moving from Greeley, CO to Salt Lake City, UT ($118,675 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.9% in real buying power.
- Greeley, CO: price level 100.2 (about average)
- 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
| Greeley, CO | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,691 in Salt Lake City | $99,314 in Greeley |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,238/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,070 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Greeley, CO MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Greeley, CO and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greeley | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.6 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greeley, CO → Salt Lake City, UT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$158/yr.
67 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Greeley, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +0.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$158/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greeley, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Greeley, CO to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greeley, CO | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Greeley → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $61,722 | −10.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $74,678 | −10.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $89,508 | −10.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $106,437 | −10.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $125,776 | −10.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greeley, CO | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Greeley dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,160 | $77,920 | $77,385 (+28.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,480 | $129,600 | $128,711 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,240 | $82,100 | $81,537 (−6.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,300 | $85,890 | $85,301 (−11.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.