City comparison
Canton, OH vs Memphis, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Memphis, TN are 3.1% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $103,100 in Memphis, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,154 a month in Memphis, TN versus $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Memphis, 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 Memphis, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Canton, OH to Memphis, TN ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.1% in real buying power.
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Canton, OH | Memphis, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,102 in Memphis | $96,992 in Canton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $846/mo | $1,154/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,810 | $46,890 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and Memphis, TN-MS-AR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Canton | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.1 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 96.9 | 74.1 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 95.4 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Canton, OH → Memphis, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
59 Fair offer
Memphis, TN → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Canton, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Memphis, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to Memphis, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Canton, OH | Memphis, TN | Real change, Canton → Memphis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Canton, OH | Memphis, TN | Memphis pay in Canton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,940 | $61,510 | $59,660 (−23.5%) |
| Software Developers | $105,500 | $125,580 | $121,802 (+15.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,170 | $76,960 | $74,645 (+3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,610 | $81,500 | $79,048 (−0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.