City comparison
Canton, OH vs Charlotte, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Charlotte, NC are 8.9% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $108,900 in Charlotte, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC versus $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 13% in Canton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,514 a year higher in Charlotte, NC than in Canton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.1% moving from Canton, OH to Charlotte, NC ($111,138 → $108,810), while prices change by +8.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.1% in real buying power.
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Canton, OH | Charlotte, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,883 in Charlotte | $91,842 in Canton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $846/mo | $1,538/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,810 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Canton | Charlotte |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.1 | 97.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 96.9 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Canton, OH → Charlotte, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,514/yr.
43 Weak offer
Charlotte, NC → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.9%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$1,514/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Canton, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Charlotte, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to Charlotte, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Canton, OH | Charlotte, NC | Real change, Canton → Charlotte |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $63,098 | −10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $76,343 | −10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $91,503 | −10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $108,810 | −10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $128,581 | −10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Canton, OH | Charlotte, NC | Charlotte pay in Canton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,940 | $58,680 | $53,893 (−30.9%) |
| Software Developers | $105,500 | $135,920 | $124,831 (+18.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,170 | $92,910 | $85,330 (+18.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,610 | $90,620 | $83,227 (+4.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.