City comparison
Harrisburg, PA 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 2.2% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $102,200 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 $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $464 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Harrisburg, PA to Salt Lake City, UT ($108,592 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
- 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
| Harrisburg, PA | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,248 in Salt Lake City | $97,801 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$464/yr.
62 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$464/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Harrisburg → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,722 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,678 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,508 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,437 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $125,776 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $77,920 | $76,207 (−1.2%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $129,600 | $126,750 (+15.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $82,100 | $80,295 (+4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $85,890 | $84,001 (−13.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.