City comparison
Provo, UT vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 8.6% higher than in Provo, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Provo, UT would need about $108,600 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,265 in Provo, UT. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 20% in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,536 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.8% moving from Provo, UT to Sacramento, CA ($106,437 → $117,984), while prices change by +8.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.1% in real buying power.
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Provo, UT | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,590 in Sacramento | $92,090 in Provo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,265/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,010 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Provo | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.1 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 78.6 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Provo, UT → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$1,536/yr.
37 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Provo, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,536/yr.
96 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Provo, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Provo, UT to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Provo, UT | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Provo → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,419 | +2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,780 | +2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,218 | +2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,984 | +2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $139,422 | +2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Provo, UT | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Provo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $97,430 | $133,570 | $123,004 (+26.2%) |
| Software Developers | $131,210 | $139,640 | $128,594 (−2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,700 | $92,110 | $84,824 (+12.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,780 | $171,460 | $157,897 (+93.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.