City comparison
Akron, OH vs Anchorage, AK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 12.9% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $112,900 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,243 a month in Anchorage, AK versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Anchorage, AK and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Akron, OH than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.3% moving from Akron, OH to Anchorage, AK ($111,138 → $120,348), while prices change by +12.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Anchorage, AK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 105.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,906 in Anchorage | $88,570 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,243/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (AK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $60,200 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | State of Alaska |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Anchorage, AK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Anchorage |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 109.9 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 107.3 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 111.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 103.3 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 105.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
38 Weak offer
Anchorage, AK → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Anchorage, AK is in State of Alaska. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Anchorage, AK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Anchorage, AK | Real change, Akron → Anchorage |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $69,789 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $84,439 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $101,206 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $120,348 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $142,216 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Anchorage, AK | Anchorage pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $79,270 | $70,209 (−10.6%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $104,030 | $92,139 (−12.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $82,150 | $72,760 (−7.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $115,290 | $102,112 (+26.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.