City comparison
Louisville, KY vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Louisville, KY are 6.5% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $106,500 in Louisville, KY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,047 a month in Louisville, KY versus $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Louisville, KY and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,415 a year higher in Louisville, KY than in Youngstown, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Louisville, KY to Youngstown, OH ($106,437 → $111,138), while prices change by −6.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.2% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (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
| Louisville, KY | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,897 in Youngstown | $106,499 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$1,415/yr.
89 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → Louisville, KY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$1,415/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Louisville, KY 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 Louisville, KY to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Youngstown, OH | Real change, Louisville → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,448 | +11.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,977 | +11.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,461 | +11.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,138 | +11.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,331 | +11.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $72,560 | $77,276 (+25.4%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $107,990 | $115,009 (+4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $73,080 | $77,830 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $78,680 | $83,794 (−1.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.