City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 15.5% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $115,500 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +19.7% moving from Cleveland, OH to Vallejo, CA ($111,138 → $133,060), while prices change by +15.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.7% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,498 in Vallejo | $86,582 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.4%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
34 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Cleveland → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $77,161 | +3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $93,358 | +3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $111,896 | +3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $133,060 | +3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $157,236 | +3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $100,790 | $87,266 (+14.1%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $136,930 | $118,556 (+6.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $95,800 | $82,945 (+3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $203,290 | $176,012 (+109.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.