City comparison
Fresno, CA vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fresno, CA are 1.3% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $101,300 in Fresno, CA 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 $1,355 in Fresno, CA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 22% in Fresno, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,536 a year higher in Fresno, CA than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.5% moving from Fresno, CA to Salt Lake City, UT ($106,973 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (pricier)
- 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
| Fresno, CA | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.2 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,737 in Salt Lake City | $101,279 in Fresno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,355/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,910 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fresno, CA and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fresno | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 95.7 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 161.0 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 102.2 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fresno, CA → Salt Lake City, UT
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,536/yr.
73 Strong offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Fresno, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,536/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fresno, CA is in the Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Fresno, CA to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fresno, CA | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Fresno → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,033 | $61,722 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,055 | $74,678 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,959 | $89,508 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,973 | $106,437 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,410 | $125,776 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fresno, CA | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Fresno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,800 | $77,920 | $78,917 (+0.1%) |
| Software Developers | $129,060 | $129,600 | $131,257 (+1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,690 | $82,100 | $83,150 (+5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,420 | $85,890 | $86,988 (−30.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.