City comparison
Salt Lake City, UT vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 5.0% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $105,000 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,382 in Springfield, MA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 22% in Springfield, MA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,246 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Salt Lake City, UT to Springfield, MA ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by −4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +18.5% in real buying power.
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (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 | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,234 in Springfield | $105,004 in Salt Lake City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,456/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,240 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Salt Lake City-Murray, UT and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salt Lake City | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.3 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 79.0 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salt Lake City, UT → Springfield, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,246/yr.
84 Strong offer
Springfield, MA → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,246/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salt Lake City, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Salt Lake City, UT to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salt Lake City, UT | Springfield, MA | Real change, Salt Lake City → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | +18.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | +18.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | +18.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | +18.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | +18.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salt Lake City, UT | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Salt Lake City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,920 | $79,640 | $83,625 (+7.3%) |
| Software Developers | $129,600 | $127,740 | $134,132 (+3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,100 | $92,010 | $96,614 (+17.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $85,890 | $98,410 | $103,335 (+20.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.