City comparison
Akron, OH vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Richmond, VA are 4.8% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $104,800 in Richmond, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,968 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.0% moving from Akron, OH to Richmond, VA ($111,138 → $111,183), while prices change by +4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.5% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,807 in Richmond | $95,414 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Richmond, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$2,968/yr.
54 Fair offer
Richmond, VA → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,968/yr.
84 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Richmond, VA | Real change, Akron → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $64,475 | −4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $78,009 | −4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $93,499 | −4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $111,183 | −4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $131,385 | −4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $104,530 | $126,230 | $120,441 (+15.2%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $132,120 | $126,061 (+19.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $84,220 | $80,357 (+2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $93,580 | $89,288 (+10.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.