City comparison
Reno, NV vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Reno, NV (101.0) and Salt Lake City, UT (100.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Reno, NV goes as far as $99,900 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,489 a month in Reno, NV and $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.4% moving from Reno, NV to Salt Lake City, UT ($106,855 → $106,437), while prices change by −0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.2% in real buying power.
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
- 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
| Reno, NV | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.0 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,855 in Salt Lake City | $100,145 in Reno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,489/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Reno-Fernley, NV | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Reno, NV and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reno | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.5 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 101.0 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reno, NV → Salt Lake City, UT
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
69 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Reno, NV
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reno, NV is in the Reno-Fernley, NV pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Reno, NV to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reno, NV | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Reno → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,965 | $61,722 | −0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,972 | $74,678 | −0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,859 | $89,508 | −0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,855 | $106,437 | −0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,271 | $125,776 | −0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reno, NV | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Reno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,430 | $77,920 | $78,033 (+25.0%) |
| Software Developers | $125,710 | $129,600 | $129,788 (+3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,370 | $82,100 | $82,219 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,520 | $85,890 | $86,014 (−20.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.