Overall
- Akron
- 93.4
- Morgantown
- 93.3
Diff -0.0 RPP
Akron vs Morgantown
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Morgantown is 0.1% less expensive than Akron.
0.1% less expensive
Morgantown, WV is 0.1% less expensive than Akron, OH on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 93.3 vs 93.4). A $100,000 salary in Akron buys about the same as $99,950 in Morgantown; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 93.4 (Akron) vs 93.3 (Morgantown)
- $100k in Akron ≈ $99,950 purchasing power in Morgantown
- Rents drives the gap (-7.7 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair OH:WV 93.4→93.3
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-BELOW · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE OH × WV
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-BELOW Both below 100
- PP-PAR PP near-par
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Akron
93.4
Cost Index
Morgantown
93.3
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Akron, OH and Morgantown, WV are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.0 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Rents creates the largest separation: Morgantown is 7.7 points lower. But goods move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
Both metros remain below the U.S. benchmark of 100. This comparison chooses between two below-average price levels; “more expensive” here does not mean nationally expensive.
For a housing-sensitive move, validate the rent gap first: HUD Fair Market Rent and the actual unit size can overturn what the blended index implies. On the BEA ratio alone, $100,000 in Akron corresponds to $99,950 in Morgantown.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Akron
- 93.6
- Morgantown
- 96.3
Diff +2.6 RPP
Services
- Akron
- 96.4
- Morgantown
- 92.5
Diff -3.9 RPP
Rents
- Akron
- 76.8
- Morgantown
- 69.1
Diff -7.7 RPP
| Category | Akron | Morgantown | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 93.4 | 93.3 | -0.0 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.3 | +2.6 |
| Services | 96.4 | 92.5 | -3.9 |
| Rents | 76.8 | 69.1 | -7.7 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Akron 93.4
Morgantown 93.3
Goods
Akron 93.6
Morgantown 96.3
Services
Akron 96.4
Morgantown 92.5
Rents
Akron 76.8
Morgantown 69.1
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Akron would need to be in Morgantown for the same purchasing power:
| In Akron | In Morgantown | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $49,975 | $-25 |
| $75,000 | $74,962 | $-38 |
| $100,000 | $99,950 | $-50 |
| $150,000 | $149,924 | $-76 |
$ in Akron = in Morgantown
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (93.4 → 93.3), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Morgantown more expensive than Akron?
Morgantown is 0.1% less expensive than Akron. The overall cost index is 93.3 vs 93.4 (national average = 100).
What salary in Morgantown equals $100K in Akron?
A $100,000 salary in Akron has the same purchasing power as $99,950 in Morgantown. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Akron and Morgantown?
Rents in Akron are indexed at 76.8 while Morgantown is at 69.1 (national average = 100). Akron has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.