City comparison
Canton, OH vs Chattanooga, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chattanooga, TN are 2.3% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $102,300 in Chattanooga, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,263 a month in Chattanooga, TN versus $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Chattanooga, TN and 13% in Canton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Canton, OH than in Chattanooga, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Canton, OH to Chattanooga, TN ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.4% in real buying power.
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- Chattanooga, TN: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Canton, OH | Chattanooga, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 91.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,302 in Chattanooga | $97,750 in Canton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $846/mo | $1,263/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,810 | $46,700 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and Chattanooga, TN-GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Canton | Chattanooga |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.1 | 76.5 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.0 |
| Utilities | 96.9 | 74.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 95.3 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 91.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Canton, OH → Chattanooga, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
62 Fair offer
Chattanooga, TN → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Canton, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Chattanooga, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to Chattanooga, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Canton, OH | Chattanooga, TN | Real change, Canton → Chattanooga |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Canton, OH | Chattanooga, TN | Chattanooga pay in Canton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,940 | $59,830 | $58,484 (−25.0%) |
| Software Developers | $105,500 | $106,750 | $104,348 (−1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,170 | $76,680 | $74,955 (+3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,610 | $79,770 | $77,975 (−2.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.