State cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Cost of Living in Ohio
Statewide Regional Price Parities for Ohio from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100, across 12 metro areas.
- 92.8
- Statewide RPP
- #35
- of 51 states by cost
- 73.0
- Rents RPP
- 12
- Metro areas
Ohio ranks #35 of 51 states by cost, and its statewide price index has held steady since 2008.
- stable since 2008
- rose +0.9 points in the 2023-2024 release
- similar cost to Wyoming
The verdict
Ohio costs less than 69% of U.S. states, a statewide index of 92.8, 7.2% below the national average.
- Rents
- furthest category from 100, at 73.0
- Wyoming
- closest statewide cost peer, 0.1 points away
- Columbus
- highest-cost metro, 95.5
- Youngstown-Warren
- lowest-cost metro, 87.4
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $107,789 when earned in Ohio.
Metro areas in Ohio, ranked by cost
| # | Metro area | Overall | Goods | Services | Rents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus | 95.5 | 93.6 | 95.5 | 87.9 |
| 2 | Cincinnati | 95.4 | 93.8 | 91.0 | 87.6 |
| 3 | Cleveland | 93.9 | 93.6 | 96.0 | 79.4 |
| 4 | Akron | 93.4 | 93.6 | 96.4 | 76.8 |
| 5 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | 92.7 | 93.6 | 95.4 | 72.7 |
| 6 | Toledo | 91.5 | 93.6 | 96.3 | 67.3 |
| 7 | Springfield | 90.5 | 93.6 | 97.2 | 61.7 |
| 8 | Lima | 89.7 | 93.6 | 95.8 | 57.3 |
| 9 | Canton-Massillon | 89.4 | 93.6 | 96.9 | 58.1 |
| 10 | Sandusky | 89.3 | 93.6 | 96.7 | 59.5 |
| 11 | Mansfield | 88.9 | 93.6 | 96.2 | 54.9 |
| 12 | Youngstown-Warren | 87.4 | 93.6 | 96.3 | 53.4 |
The Rents RPP index measures housing costs relative to the national average (100). For the federal 40th-percentile Fair Market Rent by bedroom size and county, see the HUD Fair Market Rents dataset.
Ohio vs every U.S. state
Where this state sits in the national cost distribution
93 Bottom 31% higher than 31% of 51 US states
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. 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
Reading the Ohio Cost of Living Picture
Ohio sits in an affordability lane closest to Wyoming, Indiana, New Mexico. A lower statewide index does not mean every place or budget category is cheap; it means this state belongs with those peers before a household narrows to a metro. Its category range is 22.8 points: large enough to separate housing-sensitive and service-heavy budgets, but not a single-component outlier.
Ohio captures 12 metro areas in the BEA dataset, and the range across them is meaningful. Columbus, OH leads on cost at 95.5, while Youngstown-Warren, OH sits at the opposite end at 87.4 - a gap of 8.1 index points inside a single state. For goods the state indexes at 93.7, for services 95.8, and for rents 73.0. Rents run 19.8 points below the statewide index here, so housing is what pulls the whole figure down — a household that already owns outright captures much less of that discount than a renter does.
Over time, Ohio's statewide index has held steady within 0.2 points, suggesting a stable competitive position against other states. Practically, this means a $100,000 national salary delivers the purchasing power of about $107,789 of national buying power when earned inside Ohio, and a household relocating here would need roughly $92,774 to reproduce a $100K lifestyle. With 12 reporting metros inside the state, treat this figure as the midpoint of a range rather than a quote for any one address.
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Ohio's overall RPP rose +0.9 points, from 91.9 in 2023 to 92.8 in 2024. The largest category move was services, changing from 89.2 to 95.8. RPP is a relative price index, so this reports a change against the national benchmark rather than a household's dollar bill.
Ohio RPP history, 2008–2024
The statewide index has changed by only 0.2 points from 2008 to 2024. The line shows every retained BEA release against the national benchmark of 100; the table preserves the component detail.
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 92.5 |
| 2009 | 93.5 |
| 2010 | 93.1 |
| 2011 | 92.2 |
| 2012 | 93.0 |
| 2013 | 93.3 |
| 2014 | 93.0 |
| 2015 | 92.2 |
| 2016 | 92.3 |
| 2017 | 91.9 |
| 2018 | 93.0 |
| 2019 | 93.3 |
| 2020 | 91.9 |
| 2021 | 92.2 |
| 2022 | 91.5 |
| 2023 | 91.9 |
| 2024 | 92.8 |
What this means in Ohio
The statewide index is a starting point, cost varies metro to metro within Ohio.
- Don't rely on the state figure alone: Columbus (95.5) and Youngstown-Warren (87.4) sit 8 index points apart inside Ohio. Check your specific metro.
- Rents index at 73.0 (27.0% below average) - the largest swing in the RPP. Review the housing line before any relocation decision. Highest rents
- Weighing Ohio against another state? Convert your salary to local purchasing power first. Salary calculator
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark (national average = 100) for the data year shown, pair it with local wages and current rents before deciding.
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Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive rankings, cost of living vs wages, and how BEA constructs RPP data.
States with Similar Cost of Living
These states have RPP indices closest to Ohio, making them useful peers for relocation or budget comparison.
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100
Frequently Asked Questions
How much cheaper is living in Ohio than the U.S. average?
Ohio has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 92.8, meaning it is 7.2% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 93.7, services at 95.8, and rents at 73.0.
What salary in Ohio equals $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $92,774 in Ohio. Conversely, $100K earned in Ohio has the purchasing power of $107,789 at the national average.
How much of Ohio's affordability is rents?
Rents in Ohio are indexed at 73.0, which is 27.0% below the national average. The state is relatively affordable for renters.
Which metros stretch Ohio's cost range the widest?
The most expensive metro area in Ohio is Columbus, OH with an RPP of 95.5. The most affordable is Youngstown-Warren, OH at 87.4. There are 12 metro areas in Ohio with BEA price data.
Is Ohio getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Ohio's overall cost index changed by +0.2 points (from 92.5 to 92.8). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.
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 2024. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.