City comparison
Akron, OH vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 3.8% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $103,800 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $324 a year higher in Tucson, AZ than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.4% moving from Akron, OH to Tucson, AZ ($111,138 → $108,455), while prices change by +3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,776 in Tucson | $96,361 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$324/yr.
57 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$324/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Akron → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,893 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $76,095 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $91,205 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $108,455 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $128,162 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $47,220 | $45,502 (−42.1%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $123,710 | $119,208 (+13.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $76,320 | $73,543 (−6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $94,110 | $90,685 (+12.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.