City comparison
Cincinnati, OH vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 18.0% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $118,000 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,892 a year higher in New York, NY than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.1% moving from Cincinnati, OH to New York, NY ($110,865 → $125,431), while prices change by +18.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (cheaper)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cincinnati, OH | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,028 in New York | $84,726 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.3%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$2,892/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,892/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | New York, NY | Real change, Cincinnati → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $72,737 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $88,005 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $105,481 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $125,431 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $148,222 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | New York, NY | New York pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $96,900 | $82,099 (+26.8%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $166,830 | $141,348 (+16.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $105,650 | $89,513 (+11.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $119,720 | $101,434 (+21.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.