$100k salary, packing up from Tucson
changea dispatch from
provo
UT
40.23°N
111.66°W
Provo is BYU and the Mormon culture's center of gravity, with a downtown that's quieter than most college towns (no Saturday football beer crowds here). The Wasatch Mountains rise right behind it, with Sundance ski resort 30 minutes up the canyon. Provo Canyon and Bridal Veil Falls are summer go-tos. The tech scene (Qualtrics, Domo) has reshaped the local economy. Beautiful in a calm, ordered way.
in our guides
the verdict
the monthly premium over Tucson
Provo costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
a quick ledger.
$1,743/mo
21% more expensive than Tucson(vs $1,444/mo)
4.65%
$179/mo more in state tax than Tucson
vs 2.5% in Tucson
$6,203/mo
$478 less than Tucson
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$559k
59% more expensive than Tucson
vs $352k in Tucson
733k
vs 1.1M in Tucson
field notes, weather & such.
171
pleasant days a year, in provo.
Tucson has the edge here, logging 202 pleasant days a year. The trade is winter: 44 days below 20°, vs 0 in Tucson.
But the calendar thins out: Tucson stays 33.0× busier.
81/100
23% higher than Tucson
vs 66/100 in Tucson
Closest outdoor draw: Wasatch Mountain State Park, 20.4 mi.
89/100
33% higher than Tucson
vs 67/100 in Tucson
91
469% more than Tucson
vs 16 nonstops in Tucson
neighbors of provo on the map of tradeoffs:
compare provo with:
