City comparison
Huntington, WV 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 14.1% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $114,100 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 $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $351 a year higher in Huntington, WV than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Huntington, WV to Salt Lake City, UT changes real buying power by −12.3%, purely from prices.
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (much 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
| Huntington, WV | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.4 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,076 in Salt Lake City | $87,661 in Huntington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $853/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,295 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,885 (WV) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,600 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntington | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 51.3 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 88.4 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntington, WV → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$351/yr.
38 Weak offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$351/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntington, WV to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntington, WV | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Huntington → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −12.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −12.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −12.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −12.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −12.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntington, WV | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Huntington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,450 | $77,920 | $68,306 (+18.9%) |
| Software Developers | $110,780 | $129,600 | $113,609 (+2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,840 | $82,100 | $71,970 (+1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $85,890 | $75,292 (−7.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.