City comparison
Hartford, CT vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 1.9% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $101,900 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT and $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $391 a year higher in Hartford, CT than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Hartford, CT to Salt Lake City, UT ($120,094 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.7% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Hartford, CT | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,172 in Salt Lake City | $101,862 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → Salt Lake City, UT
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$391/yr.
75 Strong offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Hartford, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$391/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Hartford → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $61,722 | −9.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $74,678 | −9.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $89,508 | −9.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $106,437 | −9.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $125,776 | −9.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $77,920 | $79,371 (−0.5%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $129,600 | $132,013 (−0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $82,100 | $83,629 (−12.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $85,890 | $87,489 (−13.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.