City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Provo, UT are 6.1% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $106,100 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 $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Provo, UT and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $920 a year higher in Provo, UT than in New Orleans, LA.
- 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 New Orleans, LA to Provo, UT changes real buying power by −5.7%, purely from prices.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (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
| New Orleans, LA | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,086 in Provo | $94,264 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $48,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Provo, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$920/yr.
51 Fair offer
Provo, UT → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$920/yr.
88 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 New Orleans, LA to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Provo, UT | Real change, New Orleans → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Provo, UT | Provo pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $62,930 | $59,320 (−1.7%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $131,210 | $123,683 (+15.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $75,700 | $71,358 (−8.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $81,780 | $77,089 (−5.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.