City comparison
Houston, TX vs Ogden, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Ogden, UT are 1.7% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $101,700 in Ogden, UT to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,323 a month in Houston, TX and $1,281 in Ogden, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Ogden, UT than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to Ogden, UT ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.8% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Ogden, UT: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Ogden, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,744 in Ogden | $98,286 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,281/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $48,900 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Ogden, UT MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Ogden, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Ogden |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 78.8 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Ogden, UT
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
63 Fair offer
Ogden, UT → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Ogden, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Ogden, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Ogden, UT | Real change, Houston → Ogden |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −14.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −14.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −14.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −14.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −14.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Ogden, UT | Ogden pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $63,910 | $62,815 (−2.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $109,880 | $107,997 (−16.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $82,010 | $80,604 (−5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $81,840 | $80,437 (−19.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.