City comparison
Hagerstown, MD 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 7.1% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $107,100 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $852 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.6% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Salt Lake City, UT ($121,785 → $106,437), while prices change by +7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −18.4% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,112 in Salt Lake City | $93,361 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$852/yr.
48 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$852/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Hagerstown → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $61,722 | −18.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $74,678 | −18.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $89,508 | −18.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $106,437 | −18.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $125,776 | −18.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $77,920 | $72,747 (+15.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $129,600 | $120,995 (−1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $82,100 | $76,649 (+1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $85,890 | $80,187 (−13.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.