City comparison
Charlotte, NC vs Cincinnati, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Charlotte, NC are 2.1% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $102,100 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 $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,514 a year higher in Charlotte, NC than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Charlotte, NC to Cincinnati, OH ($108,810 → $110,865), while prices change by −2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.0% in real buying power.
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Charlotte, NC | Cincinnati, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 95.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,968 in Cincinnati | $102,074 in Charlotte |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,538/mo | $1,051/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $50,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN |
Rent areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC and Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charlotte | Cincinnati |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.6 | 87.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 91.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 95.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charlotte, NC → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,514/yr.
75 Strong offer
Cincinnati, OH → Charlotte, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,514/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Charlotte, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Cincinnati, OH is in Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN. The last column shows what a transfer from Charlotte, NC to Cincinnati, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charlotte, NC | Cincinnati, OH | Real change, Charlotte → Cincinnati |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $64,290 | +4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $77,785 | +4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $93,231 | +4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $110,865 | +4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $131,009 | +4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charlotte, NC | Cincinnati, OH | Cincinnati pay in Charlotte dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,680 | $64,740 | $66,083 (+12.6%) |
| Software Developers | $135,920 | $121,420 | $123,938 (−8.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,910 | $80,640 | $82,312 (−11.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $90,620 | $83,650 | $85,385 (−5.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.