City comparison
Kingsport, TN 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 16.7% higher than in Kingsport, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Kingsport, TN would need about $116,700 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 $818 in Kingsport, TN. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 12% in Kingsport, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Kingsport, TN.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Kingsport, TN to Salt Lake City, UT changes real buying power by −14.3%, purely from prices.
- Kingsport, TN: price level 86.4 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Kingsport, TN | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.4 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,682 in Salt Lake City | $85,703 in Kingsport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $818/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 12% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,240 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kingsport | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 56.5 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 75.9 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 95.8 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 86.4 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kingsport, TN → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
38 Weak offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Kingsport, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.7%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Kingsport, TN to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kingsport, TN | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Kingsport → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −14.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −14.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −14.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −14.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −14.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kingsport, TN | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Kingsport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,130 | $77,920 | $66,780 (+14.9%) |
| Software Developers | $115,310 | $129,600 | $111,071 (−3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,940 | $82,100 | $70,362 (−7.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $76,730 | $85,890 | $73,610 (−4.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.