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Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP

Lima, OH

Cost-of-living indicators for Lima, OH, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.

89.7
Overall RPP
#295
of 387 metros
57.3
Rents RPP
$112K
$100K national buys

Lima ranks #295 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has fallen 3.2 points since 2008.

  • falling since 2008
  • similar cost to Montgomery

The verdict

Lima costs less than 76% of U.S. metros, an overall index of 89.7, 10.3% below the national average, with rents the biggest swing at 57.3.

bottom 24%
by overall cost, nationwide
93.6
goods RPP, tradable items
95.8
services RPP, labor-priced

A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $111,521 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $89,669.

RPP History (2008-2024)

The cost of living has been trending downward, decreasing by 3.2 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2011, when the index dropped 3.0 points from the year before.

Lima overall RPP, 2008-2024

Every year on record, national average = 100

Down 3.2 pts
8688909294 20082024 92.9 89.7 ▼ -3.5%
Year Overall
2008 92.9
2009 90.9
2010 92.7
2011 89.7
2012 91.4
2013 90.8
2014 91.5
2015 89.2
2016 88.5
2017 87.4
2018 89.0
2019 89.8
2020 89.3
2021 88.7
2022 89.5
2023 87.6
2024 89.7

Latest BEA release change

What changed from 2023 to 2024

Lima's overall RPP rose +2.0 points, from 87.6 in 2023 to 89.7 in 2024. The largest category movement was services, changing from 88.9 to 95.8. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.

Compare every metro's latest release change → Follow this metro's annual update feed

Salary Equivalent

A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:

$89,669

in Lima, OH purchasing power

$50,000 nationally
$44,835
$75,000 nationally
$67,252
$125,000 nationally
$112,086
$150,000 nationally
$134,504
$200,000 nationally
$179,338

Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.

Affordability score

B
89/100

How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost

Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability B
89th percentile

A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.

Lima vs every U.S. metro

Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution

90 Bottom 24% higher than 24% of 387 US metros

80–84: 3 US metros (1%). Below this entry. 84–88: 48 US metros (12%). Below this entry. 88–92: 94 US metros (24%). This entry sits in this band. 92–96: 97 US metros (25%). Above this entry. 96–100: 55 US metros (14%). Above this entry. 100–104: 54 US metros (14%). Above this entry. 104–108: 17 US metros (4%). Above this entry. 108–112: 14 US metros (4%). Above this entry. 112–116: 5 US metros (1%). Above this entry. 116–120: 0 US metros (0%). Above this entry. This metro 80 120 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024

Lima cost breakdown

BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average

RPP

What this shows Lima's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 57.3 depart furthest from 100, while goods sits at 93.6. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.

Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities As of 2024

Goods vs. housing, where Lima's cost comes from

Metros near Lima's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.

Crosshairs sit at the group median (goods 94.3, rents 63.3). Lima is cheaper than its peers on both housing and goods. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024. 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 7 entities by Goods RPP (tradable items) → (X) and Rents RPP (housing) → (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. Pricier on bothMore housing-ledMore goods-ledCheaper on both 92949698100102 505560657075 Goods RPP (tradable items) → Rents RPP (housing) → LimaMontgomeryKokomoWichita FallsAltoonaVictoriaDalton
Crosshairs sit at the group median (goods 94.3, rents 63.3). Lima is cheaper than its peers on both housing and goods. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Read the chart as text
  • Lima (Lima, this metro): goods RPP 93.6, rents RPP 57.3
  • Montgomery: goods RPP 96.4, rents RPP 64.3
  • Kokomo: goods RPP 94.3, rents RPP 59.3
  • Wichita Falls: goods RPP 93.8, rents RPP 68.2
  • Altoona: goods RPP 100.7, rents RPP 55
  • Victoria: goods RPP 93.8, rents RPP 69.3
  • Dalton: goods RPP 96.3, rents RPP 63.3

Price Index Summary

Overall

89.7

Cheap

Goods

93.6

Below avg

Services

95.8

Below avg

Rents

57.3

Cheap

Housing-led affordability profile

How Lima's cost structure works

Housing is the strongest affordability offset in Lima: rents index at 57.3, the component furthest below the national benchmark. That does not make every local expense low, but it is the clearest explanation for the metro's overall RPP of 89.7.

Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Canton-Massillon, OH, Sandusky, OH, Mansfield, OH. They resemble Lima across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.

Across 2008-2024, Lima's overall index has fallen by 3.2 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.

OH-relative analysis

Goods prices places Lima, OH near the bottom of OH's metros

Among the 12 OH metros PlainCost tracks with reported goods prices data, Lima, OH ranks #2 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Lima, OH only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.

Goods prices
#2 of 12
0th percentile in OH
Services prices
#9 of 12
25th percentile in OH
Rent prices
#10 of 12
17th percentile in OH

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within OH only, not a livability score.

Nationwide metros with similar overall cost or rent prices

Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Lima, OH: nearest metros by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are cross-state neighborhoods, not the in-state metro list below.

Similar overall RPP

Nearest metros by overall regional price parity (89.7 here).

Montgomery, AL RPP 89.7 Kokomo, IN RPP 89.6 Wichita Falls, TX RPP 89.5 Altoona, PA RPP 89.5

Similar rents RPP

Nearest metros by rents regional price parity (57.3 here).

Hot Springs, AR Rents 57.3 Greenville, NC Rents 57.3 Lawton, OK Rents 57.4 Muncie, IN Rents 57.5 Goldsboro, NC Rents 57.7 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX Rents 57.7 Erie, PA Rents 56.8 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD Rents 57.8

Other OH Metros

Columbus, OH 95.5 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 95.4 Cleveland, OH 93.9 Akron, OH 93.4 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH 92.7 Toledo, OH 91.5

View all OH metros → Cheapest in OH → Most expensive in OH →

Metros with Similar Cost of Living

These metros have an overall RPP closest to Lima, OH's index of 89.7.

Showing the 6 closest of 387 metro areas tracked nationally.

Montgomery, AL 89.7 Kokomo, IN 89.6 Wichita Falls, TX 89.5 Altoona, PA 89.5 Victoria, TX 89.8 Dalton, GA 89.8

Decision peers

Metros with a similar cost mix

These metros are closest to Lima's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.

Canton-Massillon, OH Goods 93.6 · Services 96.9 · Rents 58.1 Sandusky, OH Goods 93.6 · Services 96.7 · Rents 59.5 Mansfield, OH Goods 93.6 · Services 96.2 · Rents 54.9 Youngstown-Warren, OH Goods 93.6 · Services 96.3 · Rents 53.4 Battle Creek, MI Goods 93.7 · Services 95.0 · Rents 61.0 Springfield, OH Goods 93.6 · Services 97.2 · Rents 61.7
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Compare to Other Metros

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Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.

What this means for Lima

How to read Lima's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.

  • Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $111,521 in Lima. Salary calculator
  • Start with rents: it indexes at 57.3, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
  • Compare Lima head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros

RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Lima, OH?

Lima, OH has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 89.7, meaning it is 10.3% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 93.6, services at 95.8, and rents at 57.3. It ranks #295 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.

What salary do I need in Lima, OH to match $100K nationally?

To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $89,669 in Lima, OH. Conversely, $100K earned in Lima, OH has the purchasing power of $111,521 at the national average.

How expensive is rent in Lima, OH?

Rents in Lima, OH are indexed at 57.3, which is 42.7% below the national average. This makes the area relatively affordable for renters.

Is Lima, OH getting more expensive?

From 2008 to 2024, Lima, OH's overall cost index changed by -3.2 points (from 92.9 to 89.7). The cost of living has been declining.

What costs the most in Lima, OH?

The priciest category in Lima, OH is services at 95.8, 4.2% below the national average, still the highest of the three categories. The most affordable category is rents at 57.3, 42.7% below average.

What metros have a similar cost of living to Lima, OH?

Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Montgomery, Kokomo, Wichita Falls. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Lima, OH's 89.7.

Data sources

Related

Browse all metros →Rankings →

Data sourced from official public datasets, Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area (2024), index where national average = 100. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCost. See our methodology for details.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

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.