City comparison
Akron, OH vs Harrisburg, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Harrisburg, PA are 5.7% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $105,700 in Harrisburg, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,212 a month in Harrisburg, PA versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Harrisburg, PA and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in Harrisburg, PA than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.3% moving from Akron, OH to Harrisburg, PA ($111,138 → $108,592), while prices change by +5.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.5% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Harrisburg, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 98.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,655 in Harrisburg | $94,648 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,212/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $49,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 96.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 108.1 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 98.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
52 Fair offer
Harrisburg, PA → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Harrisburg, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Harrisburg, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Harrisburg, PA | Real change, Akron → Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,972 | −7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $76,190 | −7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $91,320 | −7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $108,592 | −7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $128,323 | −7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Harrisburg, PA | Harrisburg pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $77,160 | $73,030 (−7.0%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $109,470 | $103,611 (−1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $76,510 | $72,415 (−7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $96,770 | $91,591 (+13.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.