City comparison
Clarksville, TN vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Clarksville, TN are 4.1% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $104,100 in Clarksville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,094 a month in Clarksville, TN versus $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Clarksville, TN and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Youngstown, OH than in Clarksville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Clarksville, TN to Youngstown, OH ($106,437 → $111,138), while prices change by −3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.7% in real buying power.
- Clarksville, TN: price level 90.9 (much cheaper)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Clarksville, TN | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.9 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,093 in Youngstown | $104,065 in Clarksville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,094/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,860 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Clarksville, TN-KY HUD Metro FMR Area and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Clarksville, TN-KY and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Clarksville | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.8 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 72.5 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 95.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 90.9 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Clarksville, TN → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.1%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
81 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → Clarksville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
57 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Clarksville, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Clarksville, TN to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Clarksville, TN | Youngstown, OH | Real change, Clarksville → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,448 | +8.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,977 | +8.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,461 | +8.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,138 | +8.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,331 | +8.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Clarksville, TN | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in Clarksville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $116,940 | $85,490 | $88,966 (−23.9%) |
| Software Developers | $96,650 | $107,990 | $112,380 (+16.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,760 | $73,080 | $76,051 (+4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,450 | $78,680 | $81,879 (+3.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.