City comparison
Cincinnati, OH vs Hagerstown, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Cincinnati, OH are 1.3% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $101,300 in Cincinnati, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,051 a month in Cincinnati, OH versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Cincinnati, OH and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,419 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.8% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Hagerstown, MD ($110,865 → $121,785), while prices change by −1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.2% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (cheaper)
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cincinnati, OH | Hagerstown, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 94.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,743 in Hagerstown | $101,273 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $961/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 75.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 95.7 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 94.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Hagerstown, MD
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,419/yr.
73 Strong offer
Hagerstown, MD → Cincinnati, OH
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,419/yr.
65 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Hagerstown, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Hagerstown, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Hagerstown, MD | Real change, Cincinnati → Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $70,623 | +11.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $85,447 | +11.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $102,415 | +11.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $121,785 | +11.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $143,913 | +11.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Hagerstown, MD | Hagerstown pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $114,300 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $122,830 | $124,394 (+2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $75,250 | $76,208 (−5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $92,770 | $93,951 (+12.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.