City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Louisville, KY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Cleveland, OH (93.9) and Louisville, KY (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 Louisville, KY.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,058 a month in Cleveland, OH and $1,047 in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,415 a year higher in Louisville, KY than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Cleveland, OH to Louisville, KY ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by −0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.4% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Louisville, KY: 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 | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,096 in Louisville | $100,912 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,047/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,798 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,382 (KY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $48,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 75.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.8 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Louisville, KY
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$1,415/yr.
72 Strong offer
Louisville, KY → Cleveland, OH
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,415/yr.
66 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Louisville, KY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Louisville, KY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Louisville, KY | Real change, Cleveland → Louisville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Louisville, KY | Louisville pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $61,610 | $62,172 (−18.7%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $110,270 | $111,276 (−0.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $76,320 | $77,016 (−3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $84,850 | $85,624 (+2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.