City comparison
Omaha, NE 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 9.7% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $109,700 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 $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,670 a year in NE and $3,534 in UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Omaha, NE to Salt Lake City, UT ($107,501 → $106,437), while prices change by +9.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.8% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (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
| Omaha, NE | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,745 in Salt Lake City | $91,120 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$136/yr.
41 Weak offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$136/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Omaha → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $61,722 | −9.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $74,678 | −9.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $89,508 | −9.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $106,437 | −9.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $125,776 | −9.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,670 | $77,920 | $71,001 (+13.3%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $129,600 | $118,092 (−5.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $82,100 | $74,810 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $85,890 | $78,263 (−7.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.