City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Columbus, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boise City, ID are 3.1% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $103,100 in Boise City, ID to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,224 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.3% moving from Boise City, ID to Columbus, OH ($106,437 → $111,065), while prices change by −3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.5% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boise City, ID | Columbus, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,030 in Columbus | $103,061 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,194/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $51,340 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Columbus, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 87.9 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,224/yr.
78 Strong offer
Columbus, OH → Boise City, ID
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$2,224/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Columbus, OH is in Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Columbus, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Columbus, OH | Real change, Boise City → Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,406 | +7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,926 | +7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,400 | +7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,065 | +7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,245 | +7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Columbus, OH | Columbus pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $78,150 | $80,542 (+31.5%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $122,340 | $126,084 (−4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $81,700 | $84,201 (+9.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $83,900 | $86,468 (−11.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.