City comparison
Nashville, TN vs Toledo, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 5.3% higher than in Toledo, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Toledo, OH would need about $105,300 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $820 in Toledo, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 13% in Toledo, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Toledo, OH than in Nashville, TN.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Nashville, TN to Toledo, OH changes real buying power by +5.3%, purely from prices.
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
- Toledo, OH: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Nashville, TN | Toledo, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.3 | 91.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,931 in Toledo | $105,339 in Nashville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,578/mo | $820/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,390 | $48,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Toledo, OH MSA. Metro areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN and Toledo, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Nashville | Toledo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.6 | 67.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 72.0 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 96.3 | 91.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Nashville, TN → Toledo, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
85 Strong offer
Toledo, OH → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Nashville, TN to Toledo, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Nashville, TN | Toledo, OH | Real change, Nashville → Toledo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +5.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +5.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +5.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +5.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +5.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Nashville, TN | Toledo, OH | Toledo pay in Nashville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,460 | $63,250 | $66,627 (+8.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,610 | $104,360 | $109,932 (−13.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,080 | $77,400 | $81,533 (+4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,040 | $81,050 | $85,377 (+1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.