City comparison
Akron, OH vs Austin, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 5.0% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $105,000 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Akron, OH than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.5% moving from Akron, OH to Austin, TX ($111,138 → $109,428), while prices change by +5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.3% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 98.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,029 in Austin | $95,211 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,562/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $56,950 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 120.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 82.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 98.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
54 Fair offer
Austin, TX → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Austin, TX is in Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Austin, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Austin, TX | Real change, Akron → Austin |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $63,457 | −6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $76,777 | −6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $92,023 | −6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $109,428 | −6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $129,311 | −6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Austin, TX | Austin pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $61,270 | $58,336 (−25.7%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $134,120 | $127,698 (+21.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $83,120 | $79,140 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $97,890 | $93,202 (+15.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.