City comparison
Charlotte, NC vs Cleveland, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Charlotte, NC are 3.6% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $103,600 in Charlotte, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,514 a year higher in Charlotte, NC than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.1% moving from Charlotte, NC to Cleveland, OH ($108,810 → $111,138), while prices change by −3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.9% in real buying power.
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (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
| Charlotte, NC | Cleveland, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 93.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,482 in Cleveland | $103,647 in Charlotte |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,538/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 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $50,140 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC and Cleveland, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charlotte | Cleveland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.6 | 79.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 96.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 93.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charlotte, NC → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,514/yr.
80 Strong offer
Cleveland, OH → Charlotte, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,514/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Charlotte, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Cleveland, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Charlotte, NC to Cleveland, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charlotte, NC | Cleveland, OH | Real change, Charlotte → Cleveland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $64,448 | +5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $77,977 | +5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $93,461 | +5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $111,138 | +5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $131,331 | +5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charlotte, NC | Cleveland, OH | Cleveland pay in Charlotte dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,680 | $76,470 | $79,259 (+35.1%) |
| Software Developers | $135,920 | $111,310 | $115,369 (−15.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,910 | $80,000 | $82,917 (−10.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $90,620 | $83,940 | $87,001 (−4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.