City comparison
Akron, OH vs Albuquerque, NM
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Albuquerque, NM are 2.3% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $102,300 in Albuquerque, NM to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,185 a month in Albuquerque, NM versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Albuquerque, NM and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,601 a year higher in Albuquerque, NM than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.2% moving from Akron, OH to Albuquerque, NM ($111,138 → $107,592), while prices change by +2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.4% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Albuquerque, NM | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,331 in Albuquerque | $97,723 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,185/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,611 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,569 (NM) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $48,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Albuquerque, NM MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Albuquerque, NM.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Albuquerque |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 89.2 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 77.9 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.5 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Albuquerque, NM
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,601/yr.
62 Fair offer
Albuquerque, NM → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,601/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Albuquerque, NM is in Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Albuquerque, NM at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Albuquerque, NM | Real change, Akron → Albuquerque |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,392 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $75,489 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $90,479 | −5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $107,592 | −5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $127,141 | −5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Albuquerque, NM | Albuquerque pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $75,520 | $73,800 (−6.1%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $123,700 | $120,883 (+14.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $79,880 | $78,061 (−0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $96,040 | $93,853 (+16.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.