City comparison
Hartford, CT vs Ogden, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 2.4% higher than in Ogden, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Ogden, UT would need about $102,400 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT versus $1,281 in Ogden, UT. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Hartford, CT and 20% in Ogden, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $391 a year higher in Hartford, CT than in Ogden, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Hartford, CT to Ogden, UT ($120,094 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.3% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Hartford, CT | Ogden, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,667 in Ogden | $102,389 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $1,281/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $48,900 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and Ogden, UT MSA. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and Ogden, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | Ogden |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 78.8 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → Ogden, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$391/yr.
76 Strong offer
Ogden, UT → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$391/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Ogden, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to Ogden, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | Ogden, UT | Real change, Hartford → Ogden |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $61,722 | −9.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $74,678 | −9.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $89,508 | −9.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $106,437 | −9.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $125,776 | −9.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | Ogden, UT | Ogden pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $63,910 | $65,437 (−18.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $109,880 | $112,505 (−15.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $82,010 | $83,969 (−12.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $81,840 | $83,795 (−17.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.