City comparison
Brownsville, 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 16.7% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $116,700 in Ogden, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,281 a month in Ogden, UT versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Ogden, UT and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Ogden, UT than in Brownsville, TX.
- 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 Brownsville, TX to Ogden, UT changes real buying power by −14.3%, purely from prices.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Brownsville, TX | Ogden, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,719 in Ogden | $85,676 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/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 | 13% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $48,900 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Ogden, UT MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Ogden, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Ogden |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 78.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Ogden, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
38 Weak offer
Ogden, UT → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.7%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
100 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 Brownsville, TX to Ogden, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Ogden, UT | Real change, Brownsville → Ogden |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −14.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −14.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −14.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −14.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −14.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Ogden, UT | Ogden pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $63,910 | $54,756 (−13.6%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $109,880 | $94,141 (−12.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $82,010 | $70,263 (+5.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $81,840 | $70,117 (−13.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.