City comparison
Houston, TX 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 2.3% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $102,300 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 $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to Salt Lake City, UT ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.2% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (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
| Houston, TX | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,270 in Salt Lake City | $97,780 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
62 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Houston → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −15.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −15.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −15.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −15.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −15.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $77,920 | $76,190 (+18.1%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $129,600 | $126,723 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $82,100 | $80,278 (−5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $85,890 | $83,983 (−15.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.