City comparison
Huntsville, AL 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 8.4% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $108,400 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 $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, 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 Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Huntsville, AL to Salt Lake City, UT ($110,847 → $106,437), while prices change by +8.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.4% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (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
| Huntsville, AL | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,376 in Salt Lake City | $92,271 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,456/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% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,201/yr.
45 Weak offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,201/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Huntsville → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $61,722 | −11.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $74,678 | −11.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $89,508 | −11.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $106,437 | −11.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $125,776 | −11.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $77,920 | $71,898 (+15.5%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $129,600 | $119,583 (−6.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $82,100 | $75,755 (−4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $85,890 | $79,252 (+2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.