City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Provo, UT are 4.3% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $104,300 in Provo, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,265 a month in Provo, UT versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Provo, UT and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $852 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.6% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Provo, UT ($121,785 → $106,437), while prices change by +4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −16.2% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hagerstown, MD | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,312 in Provo | $95,866 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $48,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Provo, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$852/yr.
56 Fair offer
Provo, UT → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$852/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Provo, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Provo, UT | Real change, Hagerstown → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $61,722 | −16.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $74,678 | −16.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $89,508 | −16.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $106,437 | −16.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $125,776 | −16.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Provo, UT | Provo pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $62,930 | $60,328 (−4.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $131,210 | $125,786 (+2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $75,700 | $72,570 (−3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $81,780 | $78,399 (−15.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.