City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Huntsville, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Cleveland, OH (93.9) and Huntsville, AL (93.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Cleveland, OH goes as far as $99,100 in Huntsville, AL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,767 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.3% moving from Cleveland, OH to Huntsville, AL ($111,138 → $110,847), while prices change by −0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Huntsville, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,094 in Huntsville | $100,914 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,136/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $51,740 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Huntsville, AL MSA. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Huntsville, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Huntsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 77.9 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 83.9 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Huntsville, AL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,767/yr.
72 Strong offer
Huntsville, AL → Cleveland, OH
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,767/yr.
66 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Huntsville, AL is in Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Huntsville, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Huntsville, AL | Real change, Cleveland → Huntsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $64,279 | +0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $77,772 | +0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $93,216 | +0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $110,847 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $130,987 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Huntsville, AL | Huntsville pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $62,250 | $62,819 (−17.9%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $128,080 | $129,251 (+16.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $79,220 | $79,944 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $77,090 | $77,795 (−7.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.