City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Columbus, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Columbus, OH are 6.9% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $106,900 in Columbus, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,194 a month in Columbus, OH versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Columbus, OH and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,600 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.3% moving from Columbus, GA to Columbus, OH ($112,556 → $111,065), while prices change by +6.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.7% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, GA | Columbus, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,913 in Columbus | $93,534 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,194/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $51,340 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Columbus, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 87.9 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Columbus, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,600/yr.
49 Fair offer
Columbus, OH → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,600/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Columbus, OH is in Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Columbus, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Columbus, OH | Real change, Columbus → Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $64,406 | −7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $77,926 | −7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $93,400 | −7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $111,065 | −7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $131,245 | −7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Columbus, OH | Columbus pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $78,150 | $73,097 (+19.1%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $122,340 | $114,430 (−1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $81,700 | $76,417 (+3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $83,900 | $78,475 (−4.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.