City comparison
Ogden, UT vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 3.0% higher than in Ogden, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Ogden, UT would need about $103,000 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,281 in Ogden, UT. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 20% in Ogden, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,243 a year higher in Ogden, UT than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Ogden, UT to Phoenix, AZ ($106,437 → $111,338), while prices change by +3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.6% in real buying power.
- Ogden, UT: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Ogden, UT | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,957 in Phoenix | $97,128 in Ogden |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,281/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,900 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Ogden, UT MSA and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Ogden, UT and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ogden | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 78.8 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ogden, UT → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,243/yr.
60 Fair offer
Phoenix, AZ → Ogden, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,243/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ogden, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Ogden, UT to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ogden, UT | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Ogden → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,564 | +1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,117 | +1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,629 | +1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,338 | +1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,568 | +1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ogden, UT | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Ogden dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,910 | $59,180 | $57,480 (−10.1%) |
| Software Developers | $109,880 | $131,750 | $127,966 (+16.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,010 | $80,820 | $78,499 (−4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,840 | $100,830 | $97,934 (+19.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.