City comparison
Akron, OH vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 3.2% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $103,200 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Akron, OH than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Akron, OH to Nashville, TN ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.2% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,179 in Nashville | $96,919 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
59 Fair offer
Nashville, TN → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
79 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Nashville, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Nashville, TN | Real change, Akron → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $104,530 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $126,610 | $122,709 (+16.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $78,080 | $75,674 (−3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $84,040 | $81,451 (+0.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.