City comparison
Toledo, OH vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 5.9% higher than in Toledo, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Toledo, OH would need about $105,900 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $820 in Toledo, OH. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 13% in Toledo, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $324 a year higher in Tucson, AZ than in Toledo, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Toledo, OH to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by +5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.8% in real buying power.
- Toledo, OH: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Toledo, OH | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.5 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,949 in Tucson | $94,385 in Toledo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $820/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,220 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Toledo, OH MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Toledo, OH and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Toledo | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.3 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 96.3 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 91.5 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Toledo, OH → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$324/yr.
51 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → Toledo, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$324/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Toledo, OH is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Toledo, OH to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Toledo, OH | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Toledo → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | −3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | −3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | −3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | −3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | −3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Toledo, OH | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Toledo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,250 | $47,220 | $44,568 (−29.5%) |
| Software Developers | $104,360 | $123,710 | $116,763 (+11.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,400 | $76,320 | $72,034 (−6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,050 | $94,110 | $88,825 (+9.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.