City comparison
Huntington, WV vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Huntington, WV are 1.2% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $101,200 in Huntington, WV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $853 a month in Huntington, WV versus $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 14% of take-home pay in Huntington, WV and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,917 a year higher in Huntington, WV than in Youngstown, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Huntington, WV to Youngstown, OH ($106,437 → $111,138), while prices change by −1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.6% in real buying power.
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (much 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
| Huntington, WV | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.4 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,837 in Youngstown | $101,176 in Huntington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $853/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,295 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,885 (WV) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,600 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntington | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 51.3 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 88.4 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntington, WV → Youngstown, OH
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$1,917/yr.
72 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → Huntington, WV
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,917/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntington, WV is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntington, WV to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntington, WV | Youngstown, OH | Real change, Huntington → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,448 | +5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,977 | +5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,461 | +5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,138 | +5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,331 | +5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntington, WV | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in Huntington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,450 | $72,560 | $73,414 (+27.8%) |
| Software Developers | $110,780 | $107,990 | $109,260 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,840 | $73,080 | $73,940 (+4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $78,680 | $79,605 (−1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.