City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Columbus, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Columbus, OH are 1.6% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $101,600 in Columbus, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,194 a month in Columbus, OH versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Columbus, OH and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- Both are in OH, so estimated state income tax is the same: $1,968 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.1% moving from Cleveland, OH to Columbus, OH ($111,138 → $111,065), while prices change by +1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.7% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Columbus, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,646 in Columbus | $98,381 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,194/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $51,340 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Columbus, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 87.9 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Columbus, OH
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
64 Fair offer
Columbus, OH → Cleveland, OH
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Columbus, OH is in Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Columbus, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Columbus, OH | Real change, Cleveland → Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $64,406 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $77,926 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $93,400 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $111,065 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $131,245 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Columbus, OH | Columbus pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $78,150 | $76,884 (+0.5%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $122,340 | $120,359 (+8.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $81,700 | $80,377 (+0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $83,900 | $82,541 (−1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.