City comparison
Portland, OR vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, OR are 4.5% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $104,500 in Portland, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,677 a month in Portland, OR versus $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Portland, OR and 23% in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Portland, OR than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.2% moving from Portland, OR to Salt Lake City, UT ($114,684 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.0% in real buying power.
- Portland, OR: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- 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
| Portland, OR | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,681 in Salt Lake City | $104,514 in Portland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,677/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $71,260 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $7,920 (OR) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 28% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,690 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Portland | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 100.1 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Portland, OR → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
83 Strong offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Portland, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Portland, OR is in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Portland, OR to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Portland, OR | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Portland → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $66,505 | $61,722 | −3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $80,465 | $74,678 | −3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $96,443 | $89,508 | −3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $114,684 | $106,437 | −3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $135,522 | $125,776 | −3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Portland, OR | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Portland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $82,330 | $77,920 | $81,437 (−1.1%) |
| Software Developers | $156,000 | $129,600 | $135,450 (−13.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,200 | $82,100 | $85,806 (−6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $130,310 | $85,890 | $89,767 (−31.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.