City comparison
Louisville, KY vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Provo, UT are 5.5% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $105,500 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 $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Provo, UT and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,382 a year in KY and $3,534 in UT.
- 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 Louisville, KY to Provo, UT changes real buying power by −5.3%, purely from prices.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (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
| Louisville, KY | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,542 in Provo | $94,749 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $48,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Provo, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$152/yr.
52 Fair offer
Provo, UT → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$152/yr.
86 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 Louisville, KY to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Provo, UT | Real change, Louisville → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −5.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −5.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −5.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −5.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −5.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Provo, UT | Provo pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $62,930 | $59,626 (−3.2%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $131,210 | $124,320 (+12.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $75,700 | $71,725 (−6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $81,780 | $77,486 (−8.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.