City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 18.3% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $118,300 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Cleveland, OH than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.6% moving from Cleveland, OH to Seattle, WA ($111,138 → $119,630), while prices change by +18.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.0% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,324 in Seattle | $84,514 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Seattle, WA | Real change, Cleveland → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $69,373 | −9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $83,935 | −9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $100,602 | −9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $119,630 | −9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $141,367 | −9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $102,920 | $86,982 (+13.7%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $167,280 | $141,375 (+27.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $99,370 | $83,982 (+5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $128,260 | $108,398 (+29.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.