City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Ogden, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Ogden, UT are 12.4% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $112,400 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Ogden, UT and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,033 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Ogden, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Columbus, GA to Ogden, UT ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by +12.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.9% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (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
| Columbus, GA | Ogden, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,378 in Ogden | $88,985 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,281/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 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $48,900 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Ogden, UT MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Ogden, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Ogden |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 78.8 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Ogden, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,033/yr.
38 Weak offer
Ogden, UT → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,033/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Ogden, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Ogden, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Ogden, UT | Real change, Columbus → Ogden |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | −15.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | −15.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | −15.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | −15.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | −15.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Ogden, UT | Ogden pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $63,910 | $56,871 (−7.3%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $109,880 | $97,777 (−15.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $82,010 | $72,977 (−0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $81,840 | $72,826 (−11.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.