City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Ogden, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Ogden, UT are 7.8% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $107,800 in Ogden, UT to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,281 a month in Ogden, UT versus $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Ogden, UT and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,201 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Ogden, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Huntsville, AL to Ogden, UT ($110,847 → $106,437), while prices change by +7.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.9% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- 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
| Huntsville, AL | Ogden, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,819 in Ogden | $92,748 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,281/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $48,900 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Ogden, UT MSA. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Ogden, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Ogden |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 78.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Ogden, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,201/yr.
46 Fair offer
Ogden, UT → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,201/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Ogden, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Ogden, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Ogden, UT | Real change, Huntsville → Ogden |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $61,722 | −10.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $74,678 | −10.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $89,508 | −10.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $106,437 | −10.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $125,776 | −10.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Ogden, UT | Ogden pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $63,910 | $59,275 (−4.8%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $109,880 | $101,912 (−20.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $82,010 | $76,063 (−4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $81,840 | $75,905 (−1.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.