City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, ME are 8.4% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $108,400 in Portland, ME to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,687 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.5% moving from Cleveland, OH to Portland, ME ($111,138 → $120,548), while prices change by +8.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.0% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,448 in Portland | $92,210 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $56,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Portland, ME
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$3,687/yr.
41 Weak offer
Portland, ME → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,687/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Portland, ME | Real change, Cleveland → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $69,905 | +0.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $84,579 | +0.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $101,375 | +0.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $120,548 | +0.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $142,452 | +0.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $76,770 | $70,789 (−7.4%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $128,710 | $118,683 (+6.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $79,790 | $73,574 (−8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $88,470 | $81,578 (−2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.