City comparison
Cincinnati, OH vs Durham, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Durham, NC are 2.3% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $102,300 in Durham, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,514 a year higher in Durham, NC than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.3% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Durham, NC ($110,865 → $111,147), while prices change by +2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (cheaper)
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cincinnati, OH | Durham, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 97.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,309 in Durham | $97,743 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $1,507/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 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $60,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Durham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 98.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 97.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Durham, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,514/yr.
62 Fair offer
Durham, NC → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,514/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Durham, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Durham, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Durham, NC | Real change, Cincinnati → Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $64,453 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $77,983 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $93,468 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $111,147 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $131,342 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Durham, NC | Durham pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $51,400 | $50,240 (−22.4%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $135,620 | $132,559 (+9.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $85,090 | $83,170 (+3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | not published | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.