City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Columbia, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Cleveland, OH (93.9) and Columbia, SC (93.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Cleveland, OH goes as far as $99,700 in Columbia, SC.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,164 a month in Columbia, SC versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Columbia, SC and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,875 a year higher in Columbia, SC than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Cleveland, OH to Columbia, SC ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by −0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.0% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Columbia, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 93.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,722 in Columbia | $100,279 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,164/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $46,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Columbia, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 79.5 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 93.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Columbia, SC
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$2,875/yr.
70 Fair offer
Columbia, SC → Cleveland, OH
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,875/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Columbia, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Columbia, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Columbia, SC | Real change, Cleveland → Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Columbia, SC | Columbia pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $60,050 | $60,217 (−21.3%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $123,380 | $123,724 (+11.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $69,210 | $69,403 (−13.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $81,920 | $82,148 (−2.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.