City comparison
Austin, TX vs Ogden, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Ogden, UT are 2.3% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $102,300 in Ogden, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,281 in Ogden, UT. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 20% in Ogden, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Ogden, UT than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.7% moving from Austin, TX to Ogden, UT ($109,428 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.9% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Ogden, UT: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Ogden, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,328 in Ogden | $97,725 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,281/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $48,900 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Ogden, UT MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Ogden, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Ogden |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 78.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Ogden, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
62 Fair offer
Ogden, UT → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Ogden, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Ogden, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Ogden, UT | Real change, Austin → Ogden |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $61,722 | −4.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $74,678 | −4.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $89,508 | −4.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $106,437 | −4.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $125,776 | −4.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Ogden, UT | Ogden pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $63,910 | $62,456 (+1.9%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $109,880 | $107,380 (−19.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $82,010 | $80,144 (−3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $81,840 | $79,978 (−18.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.