City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Pensacola, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Pensacola, FL are 4.0% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $104,000 in Pensacola, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,257 a month in Pensacola, FL versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Pensacola, FL and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Cleveland, OH than in Pensacola, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Cleveland, OH to Pensacola, FL ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by +4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Pensacola, FL: price level 97.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Pensacola, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 97.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,039 in Pensacola | $96,117 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,257/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $46,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL MSA. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Pensacola |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 98.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 97.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Pensacola, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
57 Fair offer
Pensacola, FL → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Pensacola, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Pensacola, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Pensacola, FL | Real change, Cleveland → Pensacola |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Pensacola, FL | Pensacola pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $50,360 | $48,405 (−36.7%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $108,430 | $104,220 (−6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $76,410 | $73,443 (−8.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $77,890 | $74,866 (−10.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.