City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Worcester, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Worcester, MA are 9.2% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $109,200 in Worcester, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,599 a month in Worcester, MA versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Worcester, MA and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,812 a year higher in Worcester, MA than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.5% moving from Cleveland, OH to Worcester, MA ($111,138 → $120,548), while prices change by +9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.6% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Worcester, MA: price level 102.5 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Worcester, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 102.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,156 in Worcester | $91,612 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,599/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $57,830 |
| 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 Worcester, MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Worcester, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 113.0 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 155.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 102.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Worcester, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$2,812/yr.
41 Weak offer
Worcester, MA → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,812/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Worcester, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Worcester, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Worcester, MA | Real change, Cleveland → Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $69,905 | −0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $84,579 | −0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $101,375 | −0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $120,548 | −0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $142,452 | −0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Worcester, MA | Worcester pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $82,810 | $75,864 (−0.8%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $146,950 | $134,623 (+20.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $94,070 | $86,179 (+7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $100,240 | $91,832 (+9.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.