City comparison
Cincinnati, 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 5.8% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $105,800 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 $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,566 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Salt Lake City, UT ($110,865 → $106,437), while prices change by +5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.2% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (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
| Cincinnati, OH | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,765 in Salt Lake City | $94,549 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/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 | 16% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,566/yr.
52 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,566/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Cincinnati → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $61,722 | −9.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $74,678 | −9.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $89,508 | −9.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $106,437 | −9.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $125,776 | −9.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $77,920 | $73,673 (+13.8%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $129,600 | $122,536 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $82,100 | $77,625 (−3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $85,890 | $81,208 (−2.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.