City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Harrisburg, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Harrisburg, PA are 5.0% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $105,000 in Harrisburg, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,212 a month in Harrisburg, PA versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Harrisburg, PA and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in Harrisburg, PA than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.3% moving from Cleveland, OH to Harrisburg, PA ($111,138 → $108,592), while prices change by +5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.0% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Harrisburg, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 98.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,033 in Harrisburg | $95,208 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,212/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $49,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 96.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 108.1 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 98.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
54 Fair offer
Harrisburg, PA → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Harrisburg, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Harrisburg, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Harrisburg, PA | Real change, Cleveland → Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,972 | −7.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $76,190 | −7.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $91,320 | −7.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $108,592 | −7.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $128,323 | −7.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Harrisburg, PA | Harrisburg pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $77,160 | $73,463 (−3.9%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $109,470 | $104,225 (−6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $76,510 | $72,844 (−8.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $96,770 | $92,133 (+9.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.