City comparison
Richmond, VA 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 3.1% higher than in Richmond, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Richmond, VA would need about $103,100 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA and $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,402 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.3% moving from Richmond, VA to Salt Lake City, UT ($111,183 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.1% in real buying power.
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (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
| Richmond, VA | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.9 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,076 in Salt Lake City | $97,016 in Richmond |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,244 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,936 (VA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,460 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Richmond, VA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Richmond, VA and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Richmond | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.1 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 97.9 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Richmond, VA → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,402/yr.
59 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Richmond, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,402/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Richmond, VA is in the Richmond, VA pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Richmond, VA to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Richmond, VA | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Richmond → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,475 | $61,722 | −7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,009 | $74,678 | −7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,499 | $89,508 | −7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,183 | $106,437 | −7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,385 | $125,776 | −7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Richmond, VA | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Richmond dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,290 | $77,920 | $75,595 (+23.3%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $129,600 | $125,733 (−4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,220 | $82,100 | $79,650 (−5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $93,580 | $85,890 | $83,327 (−11.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.