City comparison
Asheville, NC vs Cleveland, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Asheville, NC are 2.8% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $102,800 in Asheville, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,429 a month in Asheville, NC versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Asheville, NC and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,514 a year higher in Asheville, NC than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Asheville, NC to Cleveland, OH ($106,437 → $111,138), while prices change by −2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.3% in real buying power.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (cheaper)
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Asheville, NC | Cleveland, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 93.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,323 in Cleveland | $102,750 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $1,058/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,870 | $50,140 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and Cleveland, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | Cleveland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 79.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 96.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 93.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,514/yr.
77 Strong offer
Cleveland, OH → Asheville, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,514/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Asheville, NC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Cleveland, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Asheville, NC to Cleveland, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | Cleveland, OH | Real change, Asheville → Cleveland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,448 | +7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,977 | +7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,461 | +7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,138 | +7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,331 | +7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | Cleveland, OH | Cleveland pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $76,470 | $78,573 (+56.9%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $111,310 | $114,371 (−14.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $80,000 | $82,200 (+2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $83,940 | $86,248 (+5.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.