City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 19.8% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $119,800 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,892 a year higher in New York, NY than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.9% moving from Cleveland, OH to New York, NY ($111,138 → $125,431), while prices change by +19.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.8% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,846 in New York | $83,440 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.6%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$2,892/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,892/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | New York, NY | Real change, Cleveland → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $72,737 | −5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $88,005 | −5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $105,481 | −5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $125,431 | −5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $148,222 | −5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | New York, NY | New York pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $96,900 | $80,854 (+5.7%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $166,830 | $139,204 (+25.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $105,650 | $88,155 (+10.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $119,720 | $99,895 (+19.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.