City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Hagerstown, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Cleveland, OH (93.9) and Hagerstown, MD (94.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Cleveland, OH goes as far as $100,300 in Hagerstown, MD.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,058 a month in Cleveland, OH versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Cleveland, OH and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,419 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.6% moving from Cleveland, OH to Hagerstown, MD ($111,138 → $121,785), while prices change by +0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.3% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Hagerstown, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 94.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,264 in Hagerstown | $99,737 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $961/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 75.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 95.7 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 94.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Hagerstown, MD
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,419/yr.
68 Fair offer
Hagerstown, MD → Cleveland, OH
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,419/yr.
70 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Hagerstown, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Hagerstown, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Hagerstown, MD | Real change, Cleveland → Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $70,623 | +9.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $85,447 | +9.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $102,415 | +9.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $121,785 | +9.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $143,913 | +9.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Hagerstown, MD | Hagerstown pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $63,190 | $63,024 (−17.6%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $122,830 | $122,507 (+10.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $75,250 | $75,052 (−6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $92,770 | $92,526 (+10.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.