City comparison
Ogden, UT vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 6.3% higher than in Ogden, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Ogden, UT would need about $106,300 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,281 in Ogden, UT. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 20% in Ogden, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,536 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Ogden, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.8% moving from Ogden, UT to Sacramento, CA ($106,437 → $117,984), while prices change by +6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.3% in real buying power.
- Ogden, UT: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Ogden, UT | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,299 in Sacramento | $94,074 in Ogden |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,281/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,900 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Ogden, UT MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Ogden, UT and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ogden | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 78.8 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ogden, UT → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$1,536/yr.
43 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Ogden, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,536/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ogden, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Ogden, UT to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ogden, UT | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Ogden → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,419 | +4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,780 | +4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,218 | +4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,984 | +4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $139,422 | +4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ogden, UT | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Ogden dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,910 | $103,390 | $97,263 (+52.2%) |
| Software Developers | $109,880 | $139,640 | $131,365 (+19.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,010 | $92,110 | $86,652 (+5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,840 | $171,460 | $161,300 (+97.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.