City comparison
Memphis, TN vs Ogden, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Ogden, UT are 8.9% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $108,900 in Ogden, UT to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,281 a month in Ogden, UT versus $1,154 in Memphis, TN. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Ogden, UT and 17% in Memphis, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Ogden, UT than in Memphis, 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 Memphis, TN to Ogden, UT changes real buying power by −8.1%, purely from prices.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
- 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
| Memphis, TN | Ogden, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,863 in Ogden | $91,858 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $1,281/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 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $48,900 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Ogden, UT MSA. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Ogden, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | Ogden |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 78.8 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → Ogden, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
43 Weak offer
Ogden, UT → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
96 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 Memphis, TN to Ogden, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | Ogden, UT | Real change, Memphis → Ogden |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −8.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −8.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −8.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −8.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −8.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | Ogden, UT | Ogden pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,510 | $63,910 | $58,707 (−4.6%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $109,880 | $100,934 (−19.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $82,010 | $75,333 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $81,840 | $75,177 (−7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.