City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Jacksonville, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Jacksonville, FL are 5.9% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $105,900 in Jacksonville, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Jacksonville, FL versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 21% of take-home pay in Jacksonville, FL and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Cleveland, OH than in Jacksonville, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Cleveland, OH to Jacksonville, FL ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by +5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.6% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Jacksonville, FL: price level 99.5 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Jacksonville, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 99.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,921 in Jacksonville | $94,410 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 21% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $48,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Jacksonville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Jacksonville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Jacksonville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 109.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 87.5 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 99.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Jacksonville, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
51 Fair offer
Jacksonville, FL → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Jacksonville, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Jacksonville, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Jacksonville, FL | Real change, Cleveland → Jacksonville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −9.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −9.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −9.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −9.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −9.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Jacksonville, FL | Jacksonville pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $61,080 | $57,666 (−24.6%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $130,330 | $123,045 (+10.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $79,960 | $75,490 (−5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $83,520 | $78,851 (−6.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.