City comparison
Salt Lake City, UT vs Spartanburg, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 10.8% higher than in Spartanburg, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Spartanburg, SC would need about $110,800 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 $1,083 in Spartanburg, SC. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 17% in Spartanburg, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,309 a year higher in Spartanburg, SC than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Salt Lake City, UT to Spartanburg, SC changes real buying power by +10.8%, purely from prices.
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Spartanburg, SC: price level 91.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Salt Lake City, UT | Spartanburg, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,267 in Spartanburg | $110,782 in Salt Lake City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,456/mo | $1,083/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,240 | $47,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area and Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Salt Lake City-Murray, UT and Spartanburg, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salt Lake City | Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.3 | 68.0 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 79.0 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salt Lake City, UT → Spartanburg, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$1,309/yr.
100 Strong offer
Spartanburg, SC → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,309/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Salt Lake City, UT to Spartanburg, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salt Lake City, UT | Spartanburg, SC | Real change, Salt Lake City → Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salt Lake City, UT | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg pay in Salt Lake City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,920 | $60,990 | $67,566 (−13.3%) |
| Software Developers | $129,600 | $114,460 | $126,801 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,100 | $77,080 | $85,391 (+4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $85,890 | $82,360 | $91,240 (+6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.