City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 17.6% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $117,600 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +19.7% moving from Cleveland, OH to San Jose, CA ($111,138 → $133,060), while prices change by +17.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.8% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,568 in San Jose | $85,057 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.9%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | San Jose, CA | Real change, Cleveland → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $77,161 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $93,358 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $111,896 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $133,060 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $157,236 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $102,860 | $87,490 (+14.4%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $213,110 | $181,266 (+62.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $121,700 | $103,515 (+29.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $216,740 | $184,354 (+119.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.