City comparison
Ogden, UT vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Ogden, UT (100.3) and Waterbury, CT (99.8, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Ogden, UT goes as far as $99,400 in Waterbury, CT.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $1,281 in Ogden, UT. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 20% in Ogden, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $391 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Ogden, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Ogden, UT to Waterbury, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by −0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +18.5% in real buying power.
- Ogden, UT: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Ogden, UT | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,431 in Waterbury | $100,572 in Ogden |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,281/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,900 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Ogden, UT MSA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Ogden, UT and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ogden | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 78.8 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ogden, UT → Waterbury, CT
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$391/yr.
71 Strong offer
Waterbury, CT → Ogden, UT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$391/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ogden, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Ogden, UT to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ogden, UT | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Ogden → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +18.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +18.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +18.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +18.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +18.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ogden, UT | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Ogden dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,910 | $79,640 | $80,096 (+25.3%) |
| Software Developers | $109,880 | $131,290 | $132,041 (+20.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,010 | $93,010 | $93,542 (+14.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,840 | $101,690 | $102,272 (+25.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.