City comparison
Provo, UT vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Provo, UT are 2.3% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $102,300 in Provo, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,265 a month in Provo, UT versus $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Provo, UT and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $464 a year higher in Provo, UT than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.4% moving from Provo, UT to York, PA ($106,437 → $121,785), while prices change by −2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +17.1% in real buying power.
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Provo, UT | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,728 in York | $102,325 in Provo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,265/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,010 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Provo | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.1 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 78.6 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Provo, UT → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$464/yr.
76 Strong offer
York, PA → Provo, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$464/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Provo, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Provo, UT to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Provo, UT | York, PA | Real change, Provo → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,623 | +17.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,447 | +17.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,415 | +17.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,785 | +17.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,913 | +17.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Provo, UT | York, PA | York pay in Provo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $79,730 | $81,584 (+29.6%) |
| Software Developers | $131,210 | $114,600 | $117,264 (−10.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,700 | $75,160 | $76,907 (+1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,780 | $96,210 | $98,447 (+20.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.