City comparison
Columbus, OH vs Crestview, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Crestview, FL are 1.6% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $101,600 in Crestview, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Crestview, FL versus $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Crestview, FL and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Columbus, OH than in Crestview, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Columbus, OH to Crestview, FL ($111,065 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.7% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Crestview, FL: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, OH | Crestview, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,636 in Crestview | $98,390 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/mo | $1,581/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $47,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Crestview |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 94.9 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Crestview, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
64 Fair offer
Crestview, FL → Columbus, OH
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Crestview, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Crestview, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Crestview, FL | Real change, Columbus → Crestview |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $61,722 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $74,678 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $89,508 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $106,437 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $125,776 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Crestview, FL | Crestview pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $60,330 | $59,359 (−24.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $130,640 | $128,537 (+5.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $79,510 | $78,230 (−4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $81,260 | $79,952 (−4.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.