City comparison
Portland, ME vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Portland, ME (101.9) and Salt Lake City, UT (100.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Portland, ME goes as far as $99,000 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 23% in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,120 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.7% moving from Portland, ME to Salt Lake City, UT ($120,548 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.8% in real buying power.
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
- 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
| Portland, ME | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.9 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,028 in Salt Lake City | $100,981 in Portland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,658/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $73,526 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,654 (ME) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,960 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Portland-South Portland, ME and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Portland | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.2 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 97.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 134.6 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 103.2 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 101.9 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Portland, ME → Salt Lake City, UT
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$2,120/yr.
72 Strong offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Portland, ME
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$2,120/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Portland, ME is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Portland, ME to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Portland, ME | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Portland → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $61,722 | −10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $74,678 | −10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $89,508 | −10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $106,437 | −10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $125,776 | −10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Portland, ME | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Portland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,770 | $77,920 | $78,685 (+2.5%) |
| Software Developers | $128,710 | $129,600 | $130,872 (+1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,790 | $82,100 | $82,906 (+3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $88,470 | $85,890 | $86,733 (−2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.