Cost of Living in Ohio
What it costs to live in Ohio, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 11,883,304
- Median household income
- $72,212
- State income tax
- Up to 2.8%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 92.8
What a typical paycheck keeps in Ohio
The typical Ohio worker earns $49,380 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $11,840 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $49,380
- Federal income tax
- −$3,746
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,778
- State income tax
- −$582
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$12,324
- Everyday costs
- −$17,110
a year, or $987 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Ohio.
Cost of living in Ohio
Prices across Ohio run 7% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing27% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)6% below the US average
- Utilities4% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)1% below the US average
- All items7% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,027 | $12,324 |
| Food | $462 | $5,544 |
| Transportation | $366 | $4,392 |
| Healthcare | $348 | $4,176 |
| Utilities | $250 | $3,000 |
| Total before taxes | $2,453 | $29,436 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Ohio taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 0% |
| $26,050 | 2.8% |
Municipal income taxes are in the local tax table. Small exemption credits are not modelled.
Taxes on the median household income
$72,212 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$7,057 |
| Payroll taxes | −$5,524 |
| State income tax | −$1,210 |
| Effective tax rate | 19.1% |
Cities in Ohio
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Ohio city we cover.
- ColumbusOhioTypical worker keeps $8,2641-bedroom $1,346 a month
- ClevelandOhioTypical worker keeps $11,3211-bedroom $1,015 a month
- CincinnatiOhioTypical worker keeps $10,8271-bedroom $1,099 a month
- ToledoOhioTypical worker keeps $11,5971-bedroom $871 a month
- AkronOhioTypical worker keeps $11,7101-bedroom $900 a month
- DaytonOhioTypical worker keeps $11,9991-bedroom $950 a month
What common jobs keep in Ohio
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $167,410 | $92,422 |
| Pharmacist | $137,020 | $72,486 |
| Physician assistant | $132,090 | $69,251 |
| Lawyer | $131,020 | $68,550 |
| Veterinarian | $125,060 | $64,640 |
| Nurse practitioner | $124,870 | $64,515 |
| Software engineer | $114,090 | $57,289 |
| Physical therapist | $103,050 | $49,827 |
| Data scientist | $102,630 | $49,542 |
| Occupational therapist | $99,390 | $47,352 |
| Mechanical engineer | $99,100 | $47,156 |
| Civil engineer | $96,220 | $45,210 |
| Project manager | $95,770 | $44,906 |
| Financial analyst | $94,280 | $43,898 |
| Speech-language pathologist | $93,300 | $43,236 |
Salary pages in Ohio, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Ohio
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $377,480 |
| Physicians, All Other | $297,440 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $249,990 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $231,810 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $223,700 |
| Pediatricians, General | $217,970 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $204,170 |
| Chief Executives | $176,440 |
| Dentists, General | $167,410 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $166,870 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $163,640 |
| Commercial Pilots | $150,330 |
| Financial Managers | $140,870 |
| Aerospace Engineers | $138,440 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $137,170 |
Living in Ohio
Ohio against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Ohio | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $239,800 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,090 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 4% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 12.7% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 32.4% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 23.8 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 11.9% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Ohio with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Ohio?
Prices in Ohio are 7% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,027 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,426 a month.
Does Ohio have a state income tax?
Yes. Ohio's income tax rate is up to 2.8%. On a typical wage of $49,380, a single filer pays about $582 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Ohio?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $34,200 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Ohio earns $49,380 and keeps $11,840 after those costs.
Where in Ohio does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Ohio cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Dayton ($11,999 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Columbus ($8,264).
What jobs pay the most in Ohio?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Ohio goes to Emergency Medicine Physicians ($377,480); Physicians, All Other ($297,440); General Internal Medicine Physicians ($249,990) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate