City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Wilmington, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Wilmington, NC are 2.7% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $102,700 in Wilmington, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,513 a month in Wilmington, NC versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Wilmington, NC and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,514 a year higher in Wilmington, NC than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Cleveland, OH to Wilmington, NC ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.7% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Wilmington, NC: price level 96.4 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Wilmington, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 96.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,661 in Wilmington | $97,408 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,513/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $45,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Wilmington, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Wilmington, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Wilmington |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 93.2 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 87.9 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 96.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Wilmington, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,514/yr.
61 Fair offer
Wilmington, NC → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,514/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Wilmington, NC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Wilmington, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Wilmington, NC | Real change, Cleveland → Wilmington |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Wilmington, NC | Wilmington pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $48,240 | $46,990 (−38.6%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $123,730 | $120,523 (+8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $77,920 | $75,901 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $80,970 | $78,871 (−6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.