City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cleveland, OH are 7.5% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $107,500 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 $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Cleveland, OH and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- Both are in OH, so estimated state income tax is the same: $1,968 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $111,138 in either. A transfer from Cleveland, OH to Youngstown, OH changes real buying power by +7.5%, purely from prices.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,049 in Youngstown | $107,471 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
92 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → Cleveland, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Youngstown, OH | Real change, Cleveland → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $64,448 | +7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $77,977 | +7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $93,461 | +7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $111,138 | +7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $131,331 | +7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $72,560 | $77,981 (+2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $107,990 | $116,058 (+4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $73,080 | $78,540 (−1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $78,680 | $84,558 (+0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.