City comparison
Augusta, GA 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 9.8% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $109,800 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 $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,033 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Augusta, GA to Salt Lake City, UT changes real buying power by −8.9%, purely from prices.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much 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
| Augusta, GA | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,755 in Salt Lake City | $91,112 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,033/yr.
41 Weak offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,033/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Augusta → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −8.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −8.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −8.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −8.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −8.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $77,920 | $70,995 (+12.7%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $129,600 | $118,081 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $82,100 | $74,803 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $85,890 | $78,256 (−10.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.