City comparison
Akron, OH vs Cape Coral, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cape Coral, FL are 9.6% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $109,600 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Akron, OH than in Cape Coral, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Akron, OH to Cape Coral, FL ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by +9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.6% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Cape Coral, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 102.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,617 in Cape Coral | $91,227 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,638/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $46,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 125.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 86.9 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 102.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
41 Weak offer
Cape Coral, FL → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Cape Coral, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Cape Coral, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Cape Coral, FL | Real change, Akron → Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −12.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −12.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −12.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −12.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −12.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Cape Coral, FL | Cape Coral pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $60,470 | $55,165 (−29.8%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $126,940 | $115,804 (+9.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $79,420 | $72,453 (−7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $82,860 | $75,591 (−6.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.