City comparison
Provo, UT vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Provo, UT are 2.3% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $102,300 in Provo, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $1,265 in Provo, UT. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 20% in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,246 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Provo, UT to Springfield, MA ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by −2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.4% in real buying power.
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Provo, UT | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,790 in Springfield | $102,260 in Provo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,265/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,010 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Provo | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.1 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 78.6 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Provo, UT → Springfield, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,246/yr.
76 Strong offer
Springfield, MA → Provo, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,246/yr.
62 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Provo, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Provo, UT to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Provo, UT | Springfield, MA | Real change, Provo → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | +15.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | +15.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | +15.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | +15.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | +15.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Provo, UT | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Provo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $97,430 | $128,910 | $131,823 (+35.3%) |
| Software Developers | $131,210 | $127,740 | $130,627 (−0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,700 | $92,010 | $94,089 (+24.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,780 | $98,410 | $100,634 (+23.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.