City comparison
Columbus, OH vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Richmond, VA are 2.5% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $102,500 in Richmond, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,968 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.1% moving from Columbus, OH to Richmond, VA ($111,065 → $111,183), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, OH | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,502 in Richmond | $97,559 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Richmond, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$2,968/yr.
61 Fair offer
Richmond, VA → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,968/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Richmond, VA | Real change, Columbus → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $64,475 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $78,009 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $93,499 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $111,183 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $131,385 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $61,290 | $59,794 (−23.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $132,120 | $128,895 (+5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $84,220 | $82,164 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $93,580 | $91,295 (+8.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.