City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Fort Wayne, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cleveland, OH are 1.5% higher than in Fort Wayne, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Wayne, IN would need about $101,500 in Cleveland, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,058 a month in Cleveland, OH versus $916 in Fort Wayne, IN. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Cleveland, OH and 14% in Fort Wayne, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $953 a year higher in Fort Wayne, IN than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Cleveland, OH to Fort Wayne, IN ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Fort Wayne, IN: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Fort Wayne, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 92.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,562 in Fort Wayne | $101,459 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $916/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $47,700 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Fort Wayne, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Fort Wayne, IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Fort Wayne |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 72.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 94.3 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 86.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.1 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 92.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Fort Wayne, IN
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$953/yr.
73 Strong offer
Fort Wayne, IN → Cleveland, OH
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$953/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Fort Wayne, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Fort Wayne, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Fort Wayne, IN | Real change, Cleveland → Fort Wayne |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Fort Wayne, IN | Fort Wayne pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $59,800 | $60,673 (−20.7%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $101,560 | $103,042 (−7.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $75,250 | $76,348 (−4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $79,630 | $80,792 (−3.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.