City comparison
Salt Lake City, UT vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 4.1% higher than in Tucson, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Tucson, AZ would need about $104,100 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,243 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Salt Lake City, UT to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by −3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.1% in real buying power.
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Salt Lake City, UT | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,062 in Tucson | $104,099 in Salt Lake City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,456/mo | $1,081/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 | 23% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,240 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Salt Lake City-Murray, UT and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salt Lake City | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.3 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 79.0 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salt Lake City, UT → Tucson, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,243/yr.
82 Strong offer
Tucson, AZ → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,243/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salt Lake City, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Salt Lake City, UT to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salt Lake City, UT | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Salt Lake City → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | +6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | +6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | +6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | +6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | +6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salt Lake City, UT | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Salt Lake City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,920 | $47,220 | $49,156 (−36.9%) |
| Software Developers | $129,600 | $123,710 | $128,781 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,100 | $76,320 | $79,449 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $85,890 | $94,110 | $97,968 (+14.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.