City comparison
Akron, OH vs Baton Rouge, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Akron, OH are 2.9% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $102,900 in Akron, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,064 a month in Baton Rouge, LA versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Baton Rouge, LA and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $646 a year higher in Baton Rouge, LA than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Akron, OH to Baton Rouge, LA ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Baton Rouge, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 90.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,226 in Baton Rouge | $102,853 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,064/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $48,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Baton Rouge, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Baton Rouge |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 74.2 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 90.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$646/yr.
78 Strong offer
Baton Rouge, LA → Akron, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$646/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Baton Rouge, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Baton Rouge, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Baton Rouge, LA | Real change, Akron → Baton Rouge |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Baton Rouge, LA | Baton Rouge pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $59,310 | $61,002 (−22.3%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $101,900 | $104,807 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $73,070 | $75,155 (−4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $81,130 | $83,445 (+3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.