City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Richmond, VA are 4.2% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $104,200 in Richmond, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,968 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.0% moving from Cleveland, OH to Richmond, VA ($111,138 → $111,183), while prices change by +4.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.0% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,190 in Richmond | $95,979 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Richmond, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$2,968/yr.
56 Fair offer
Richmond, VA → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,968/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Richmond, VA | Real change, Cleveland → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $64,475 | −4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $78,009 | −4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $93,499 | −4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $111,183 | −4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $131,385 | −4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $61,290 | $58,825 (−23.1%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $132,120 | $126,807 (+13.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $84,220 | $80,833 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $93,580 | $89,817 (+7.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.