City comparison
Modesto, CA vs Ogden, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 3.7% higher than in Ogden, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Ogden, UT would need about $103,700 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,356 a month in Modesto, CA versus $1,281 in Ogden, UT. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Modesto, CA and 20% in Ogden, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,536 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Ogden, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −20.0% moving from Modesto, CA to Ogden, UT ($133,060 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.0% in real buying power.
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Modesto, CA | Ogden, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.1 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,389 in Ogden | $103,746 in Modesto |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,356/mo | $1,281/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,610 | $48,900 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Modesto, CA MSA and Ogden, UT MSA. Metro areas: Modesto, CA and Ogden, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Modesto | Ogden |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.5 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 152.3 | 78.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 104.1 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Modesto, CA → Ogden, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,536/yr.
80 Strong offer
Ogden, UT → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,536/yr.
57 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Modesto, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Ogden, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Modesto, CA to Ogden, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Modesto, CA | Ogden, UT | Real change, Modesto → Ogden |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,722 | −17.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,678 | −17.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,508 | −17.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,437 | −17.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $125,776 | −17.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Modesto, CA | Ogden, UT | Ogden pay in Modesto dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | not published | $87,960 | — |
| Software Developers | $119,770 | $109,880 | $113,996 (−4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,560 | $82,010 | $85,082 (+1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $132,590 | $81,840 | $84,906 (−36.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.