City comparison
Akron, OH vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 1.4% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $101,400 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, 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 San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.8% moving from Akron, OH to San Antonio, TX ($111,138 → $108,001), while prices change by +1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.2% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,442 in San Antonio | $98,579 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,177/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Akron, OH and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
64 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Akron, OH
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Akron → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,629 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $75,776 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $90,823 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $108,001 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $127,624 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $61,720 | $60,843 (−22.6%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $128,430 | $126,605 (+20.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $78,650 | $77,532 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $94,370 | $93,029 (+15.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.