Uprootmap
Salt Lake City vs Austin
Salt Lake City and Austin
Photo: Quintin Soloviev / Wikimedia, CC BY 4.0
Assumed income $83,730, same in both cities. Example, until you change it.
Other cities
So you know: homicide deaths in Austin are under the US rate in this release, 3.7 versus 6.5 per 100,000. CDC via County Health Rankings, CDC NVSS 2017–2023 (CHR 2025 release).
Why people look at Salt Lake City to Austin
In 2022-2023, 188 households filed a move from Salt Lake City to Austin (about 298 people, average adjusted gross income $123,766). 164 households went the other way. Source: IRS migration.
A one-bedroom asking rent is about $1,265 in Salt Lake City and $1,221 in Austin. Salt Lake City has a state tax on wages. Austin has no state tax on wages. Local pay in Austin is 104% of the national level for the same work, against 99% in Salt Lake City.
Austin averages 228 sunny days, with July highs around 97°F and January nights around 43°F. Salt Lake City is 222 sunny days, 93°F in July, 25°F in January. Commutes average 27 minutes in Austin and 23 in Salt Lake City.
Who already made this move
In 2022-2023, 188 households moved Salt Lake City → Austin (about 298 people, average AGI $123,766). 164 households went the other way.
Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.
The monthly number is take-home pay minus rent and the other bills. The gap between Salt Lake City and Austin changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this.
What the move itself costs
About 1,339 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $3,050–$5,750
- Container or pod
- $2,150–$4,050
- Rent a truck
- $1,250–$2,300
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Dig into Austin
Questions
Is Austin cheaper than Salt Lake City after tax and rent?
Yes. Austin leaves about $302 more a month, so the cost of living is lower there for this household. A one-bedroom is about $1,265 in Salt Lake City and $1,221 in Austin.
Does Austin have state income tax?
Austin is in Texas, which has no state income tax.
Did people actually move from Salt Lake City to Austin?
Yes, when the IRS published that flow. The count and their average income are on this page. Leftover prices the same household in both cities.