City comparison
Columbus, OH vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Raleigh, NC are 2.8% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $102,800 in Raleigh, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,514 a year higher in Raleigh, NC than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.1% moving from Columbus, OH to Raleigh, NC ($111,065 → $111,147), while prices change by +2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, OH | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,816 in Raleigh | $97,262 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/mo | $1,596/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 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Raleigh, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,514/yr.
60 Fair offer
Raleigh, NC → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,514/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Raleigh, NC | Real change, Columbus → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $64,453 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $77,983 | −2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $93,468 | −2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $111,147 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $131,342 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $60,170 | $58,522 (−25.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $132,770 | $129,134 (+5.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $81,950 | $79,706 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $84,830 | $82,507 (−1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.