City comparison
Kansas City, MO 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 9.0% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $109,000 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 $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,763 a year in MO and $3,534 in UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.6% moving from Kansas City, MO to Salt Lake City, UT ($108,173 → $106,437), while prices change by +9.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.7% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (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
| Kansas City, MO | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,996 in Salt Lake City | $91,747 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$229/yr.
43 Weak offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$229/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Kansas City → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $61,722 | −9.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $74,678 | −9.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $89,508 | −9.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $106,437 | −9.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $125,776 | −9.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $77,920 | $71,489 (+17.1%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $129,600 | $118,904 (−4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $82,100 | $75,324 (−5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $85,890 | $78,801 (−5.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.