City comparison
Philadelphia, PA vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 1.7% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $101,700 in Philadelphia, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,520 a month in Philadelphia, PA and $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $464 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Philadelphia, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Philadelphia, PA to Salt Lake City, UT ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.7% in real buying power.
- Philadelphia, PA: price level 102.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Philadelphia, PA | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.6 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,356 in Salt Lake City | $101,671 in Philadelphia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,520/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,310 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Philadelphia | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.1 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 114.4 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 103.1 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 102.6 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Philadelphia, PA → Salt Lake City, UT
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$464/yr.
74 Strong offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Philadelphia, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$464/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Philadelphia, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Philadelphia, PA to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Philadelphia, PA | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Philadelphia → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Philadelphia, PA | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Philadelphia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,570 | $77,920 | $79,222 (+0.8%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $129,600 | $131,766 (−1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,990 | $82,100 | $83,472 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,180 | $85,890 | $87,326 (−13.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.