City comparison
Knoxville, TN 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 Knoxville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Knoxville, TN 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 $1,184 in Knoxville, TN. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 18% in Knoxville, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Knoxville, TN.
- 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 Knoxville, TN to Salt Lake City, UT changes real buying power by −8.2%, purely from prices.
- Knoxville, TN: price level 92.6 (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
| Knoxville, TN | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,965 in Salt Lake City | $91,772 in Knoxville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,184/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,080 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Knoxville, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Knoxville, TN and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Knoxville | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 82.8 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 71.9 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Knoxville, TN → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
43 Weak offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Knoxville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
97 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 Knoxville, TN to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Knoxville, TN | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Knoxville → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Knoxville, TN | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Knoxville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,980 | $77,920 | $71,509 (+15.4%) |
| Software Developers | $121,750 | $129,600 | $118,937 (−2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,380 | $82,100 | $75,345 (−0.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,240 | $85,890 | $78,823 (+2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.