City comparison
Akron, OH vs Albany, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Albany, NY are 6.6% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $106,600 in Albany, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,417 a month in Albany, NY versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Albany, NY and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,892 a year higher in Albany, NY than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.2% moving from Akron, OH to Albany, NY ($111,138 → $109,810), while prices change by +6.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.3% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Albany, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 99.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,636 in Albany | $93,777 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,417/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $58,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Albany |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 102.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 134.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 99.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Albany, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$2,892/yr.
49 Fair offer
Albany, NY → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,892/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Albany, NY is in Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Albany, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Albany, NY | Real change, Akron → Albany |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $63,678 | −7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $77,045 | −7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $92,344 | −7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $109,810 | −7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $129,763 | −7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Albany, NY | Albany pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $79,240 | $74,309 (−5.4%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $127,910 | $119,950 (+13.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $84,660 | $79,392 (+1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $99,970 | $93,749 (+16.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.