City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Ann Arbor, MI (100.9) and Salt Lake City, UT (100.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Ann Arbor, MI goes as far as $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,387 a month in Ann Arbor, MI and $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $465 a year higher in Ann Arbor, MI than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Ann Arbor, MI to Salt Lake City, UT ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −0.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.3% in real buying power.
- Ann Arbor, MI: price level 100.9 (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
| Ann Arbor, MI | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,988 in Salt Lake City | $100,012 in Ann Arbor |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,387/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,380 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Ann Arbor, MI MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Ann Arbor, MI and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ann Arbor | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.3 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 98.2 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ann Arbor, MI → Salt Lake City, UT
Roughly even
Buying power +0.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$465/yr.
69 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Ann Arbor, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$465/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ann Arbor, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Ann Arbor, MI to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ann Arbor, MI | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Ann Arbor → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −9.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −9.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −9.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −9.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −9.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ann Arbor, MI | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Ann Arbor dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,060 | $77,920 | $77,929 (+21.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,830 | $129,600 | $129,615 (+2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $82,100 | $82,110 (+2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,450 | $85,890 | $85,900 (−17.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.