City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs Toledo, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Pittsburgh, PA are 3.5% higher than in Toledo, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Toledo, OH would need about $103,500 in Pittsburgh, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,077 a month in Pittsburgh, PA versus $820 in Toledo, OH. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Pittsburgh, PA and 13% in Toledo, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in Pittsburgh, PA than in Toledo, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.3% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to Toledo, OH ($110,047 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.1% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Toledo, OH: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Pittsburgh, PA | Toledo, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 91.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,603 in Toledo | $103,516 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $820/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $48,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Toledo, OH MSA. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and Toledo, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | Toledo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 67.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 91.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → Toledo, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
80 Strong offer
Toledo, OH → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; Toledo, OH is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to Toledo, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | Toledo, OH | Real change, Pittsburgh → Toledo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $61,722 | +0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $74,678 | +0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $89,508 | +0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $106,437 | +0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $125,776 | +0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | Toledo, OH | Toledo pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $63,250 | $65,474 (−14.5%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $104,360 | $108,030 (−13.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $77,400 | $80,122 (+4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $81,050 | $83,900 (+1.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.