City comparison
Columbus, OH vs Manchester, NH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 10.7% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $110,700 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,552 a month in Manchester, NH versus $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Manchester, NH and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Columbus, OH than in Manchester, NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.5% moving from Columbus, OH to Manchester, NH ($111,065 → $120,548), while prices change by +10.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, OH | Manchester, NH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 105.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,672 in Manchester | $90,357 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/mo | $1,552/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (NH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $56,530 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Manchester-Nashua, NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 134.2 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 97.7 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 133.5 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 103.7 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 105.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Manchester, NH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
39 Weak offer
Manchester, NH → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Manchester, NH is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Manchester, NH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Manchester, NH | Real change, Columbus → Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $69,905 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $84,579 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $101,375 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $120,548 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $142,452 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Manchester, NH | Manchester pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $73,380 | $66,304 (−15.2%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $162,090 | $146,460 (+19.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $83,660 | $75,593 (−7.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $98,600 | $89,092 (+6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.