City comparison
Jacksonville, FL 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 1.4% higher than in Jacksonville, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Jacksonville, FL would need about $101,400 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,382 in Jacksonville, FL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 21% in Jacksonville, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Jacksonville, FL.
- 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 Jacksonville, FL to Salt Lake City, UT changes real buying power by −1.4%, purely from prices.
- Jacksonville, FL: price level 99.5 (about average)
- 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
| Jacksonville, FL | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.5 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,391 in Salt Lake City | $98,628 in Jacksonville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,382/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,830 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Jacksonville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Jacksonville, FL and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jacksonville | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.8 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 87.5 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 99.5 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jacksonville, FL → Salt Lake City, UT
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
64 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Jacksonville, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
73 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 Jacksonville, FL to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jacksonville, FL | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Jacksonville → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jacksonville, FL | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Jacksonville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,080 | $77,920 | $76,851 (+25.8%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $129,600 | $127,822 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,960 | $82,100 | $80,974 (+1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,520 | $85,890 | $84,712 (+1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.