City comparison
Akron, OH vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 8.0% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $108,000 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 $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,566 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Akron, OH to Salt Lake City, UT ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by +8.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.3% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- 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
| Akron, OH | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,030 in Salt Lake City | $92,567 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,566/yr.
46 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,566/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Akron → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −11.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −11.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −11.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −11.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −11.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $77,920 | $72,128 (−8.2%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $129,600 | $119,966 (+13.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $82,100 | $75,997 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $85,890 | $79,505 (−1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.