City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Montgomery, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Cleveland, OH are 4.7% higher than in Montgomery, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Montgomery, AL would need about $104,700 in Cleveland, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,058 a month in Cleveland, OH versus $870 in Montgomery, AL. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Cleveland, OH and 14% in Montgomery, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,767 a year higher in Montgomery, AL than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Cleveland, OH to Montgomery, AL ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.3% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Montgomery, AL: price level 89.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Montgomery, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 89.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,485 in Montgomery | $104,729 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $870/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% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $44,950 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Montgomery, AL MSA. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Montgomery, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Montgomery |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 64.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 84.9 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 89.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Montgomery, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,767/yr.
84 Strong offer
Montgomery, AL → Cleveland, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,767/yr.
55 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Montgomery, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Montgomery, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Montgomery, AL | Real change, Cleveland → Montgomery |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | +0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | +0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | +0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | +0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | +0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Montgomery, AL | Montgomery pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $105,890 | $113,270 | $118,626 (+12.0%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $110,620 | $115,851 (+4.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $75,040 | $78,589 (−1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $79,570 | $83,333 (−0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.