City comparison
Rochester, NY 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 4.0% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $104,000 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,326 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.7% moving from Rochester, NY to Salt Lake City, UT ($107,182 → $106,437), while prices change by +4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.5% in real buying power.
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (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
| Rochester, NY | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,950 in Salt Lake City | $96,200 in Rochester |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,256/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,210 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Rochester, NY MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Rochester, NY and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Rochester | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.5 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 133.2 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Rochester, NY → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,326/yr.
57 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,326/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Rochester, NY is in the Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Rochester, NY to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Rochester, NY | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Rochester → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,155 | $61,722 | −4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,202 | $74,678 | −4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,135 | $89,508 | −4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,182 | $106,437 | −4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,657 | $125,776 | −4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Rochester, NY | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Rochester dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,840 | $77,920 | $74,959 (+19.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,770 | $129,600 | $124,675 (+1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,890 | $82,100 | $78,980 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,570 | $85,890 | $82,626 (−4.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.