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Columbus vs Cleveland Take-Home

At $100,000 single (2026), Columbus and Cleveland model the same take-home ($77,212) under Ohio rules — COL indexes 88 vs 82 drive purchasing-power differences. Note: Columbus — Columbus municipal income tax is NOT included. Treat the ranked take-home as an Ohio state proxy, not a full city paycheck. Cleveland — Cleveland municipal income tax is NOT included. Ohio city residents typically owe local income tax on top of state tax.

By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026

Higher take-home

Columbus and Cleveland are tied

Both model about $77,212 at $100k under Ohio rules.

Same state — COL indexes (88 vs 82) matter more than tax for day-to-day purchasing power.

Side-by-side scoreboard

Columbus

$77,212

$100k · rank #12 · 22.8%

Federal
$13,170
State
$1,968
Local
$0
FICA
$7,650
COL index
88
Columbus profile →

Cleveland

$77,212

$100k · rank #10 · 22.8%

Federal
$13,170
State
$1,968
Local
$0
FICA
$7,650
COL index
82
Cleveland profile →

Key takeaways

  • At $100,000 single (2026), Columbus and Cleveland model the same take-home ($77,212) under Ohio rules — COL indexes 88 vs 82 drive purchasing-power differences. Note: Columbus — Columbus municipal income tax is NOT included. Treat the ranked take-home as an Ohio state proxy, not a full city paycheck. Cleveland — Cleveland municipal income tax is NOT included. Ohio city residents typically owe local income tax on top of state tax.
  • Columbus and Cleveland are both in Ohio — expect matching take-home and different COL.
  • Federal ≈ $13,170 (Columbus) vs $13,170 (Cleveland); state ≈ $1,968 vs $1,968.
  • FICA ≈ $7,650 vs $7,650.
  • Ranks: Columbus #12 · Cleveland #10 among 34 metros on this hub.
  • Personalize filing status and deductions in each state calculator.

How to read Columbus vs Cleveland

Both columns use the same $100,000 single-filer vignette for 2026: federal + state income tax (+ NYC city tax when modeled) + employee FICA + state SDI/PFML when applicable.

Columbus and Cleveland model identical take-home because they share Ohio rules. COL indexes (88 vs 82) are the practical differentiator for purchasing power.

Local caveat: Columbus — Columbus municipal income tax is NOT included. Treat the ranked take-home as an Ohio state proxy, not a full city paycheck. Cleveland — Cleveland municipal income tax is NOT included. Ohio city residents typically owe local income tax on top of state tax.

What drives US metro paycheck gaps

Employees are taxed by state of residence (and sometimes city) for wage income — federal brackets apply nationwide. NYC is the only metro on this hub with a separately modeled city PIT.

Columbus models about $1,968 state tax and $7,650 FICA. Cleveland models about $1,968 and $7,650 FICA.

Same-state pairs (e.g. San Francisco–Los Angeles) should match take-home; no-PIT corridors (Austin–Miami) also tie. Cross-state corridors (NYC–Austin, SF–Seattle) are where bracket and payroll differences appear.

Why the income ladder matters

At $50k the modeled gap between these metros is about $0; at $200k it is about $0. Bracket thresholds and FICA/SDI ceilings can reorder winners as salary rises.

Use the ladder before accepting an offer at a different gross — a metro that wins at $100k may not win at $150k or $200k.

Open /calculator/us/ohio or /calculator/us/ohio to personalize filing status, dependents, and retirement deferrals.

Cost of living vs take-home

Columbus COL index 88 · COL-adjusted proxy $87,741. Cleveland COL index 82 · proxy $94,161.

COL-adjusted take-home is a purchasing-power hint from relocation indexes — not IRS withholding and not a substitute for rent quotes or a budget.

A higher take-home metro can still feel tighter if housing dominates; pair this compare with the relocation salary calculator.

Limitations of this compare

Single filer, standard deduction, no 401(k), no dependents, no stock options, no remote multi-state income sourcing.

Unmodeled local taxes: Columbus — Columbus municipal income tax is NOT included. Treat the ranked take-home as an Ohio state proxy, not a full city paycheck. Cleveland — Cleveland municipal income tax is NOT included. Ohio city residents typically owe local income tax on top of state tax.

Engine last aligned for hub review 2026-08-11. Figures are educational vignettes — not advice.

Tax stack layers

Federal income tax

IRS brackets and standard deduction. Modeled: Columbus $13,170 · Cleveland $13,170.

State income tax

State withholding for Ohio vs Ohio. Modeled: Columbus $1,968 (OH) · Cleveland $1,968 (OH).

Local / city income tax

No separately modeled local PIT on these columns. Caveat: Columbus municipal income tax is NOT included. Treat the ranked take-home as an Ohio state proxy, not a full city paycheck. Cleveland municipal income tax is NOT included. Ohio city residents typically owe local income tax on top of state tax. Real resident take-home may be lower.

FICA

Employee Social Security + Medicare (+ Additional Medicare when applicable). Modeled: Columbus $7,650 · Cleveland $7,650.

COL index

Columbus 88 · Cleveland 82 (100 = national average). COL-adjusted proxies: $87,741 vs $94,161.

Income ladder comparison

Same gross bands, single filer — gaps grow or shrink with state brackets and payroll caps.

GrossColumbusClevelandΔ
$50,000$41,762$41,762$0
$75,000$60,312$60,312$0
$100,000$77,212$77,212$0
$150,000$110,448$110,448$0
$200,000$144,209$144,209$0

Decision guides

Same-state move

Focus on rent, commute, and COL (88 vs 82) — income tax will not move the needle between Columbus and Cleveland on this model.

Job offer negotiation

Ask for the work state (and city residency rules) on the contract. A OH vs OH posting can change take-home more than the skyline name.

High COL destination

If relocating to the higher-COL metro (Columbus), stress-test rent against take-home — tax wins do not automatically fund housing.

What this compare excludes

  • 401(k), IRA, HSA, and other pre-tax deferrals
  • Dependents, credits, and itemized deductions beyond the standard single-filer stack
  • RSUs, ISOs, ESPP, and other stock compensation
  • Remote workers with multi-state income sourcing
  • Unmodeled local wage taxes (Philadelphia Wage Tax, Detroit city PIT, Ohio municipal, Pittsburgh EIT/LST)
  • Employer benefits, union dues, and commuting subsidies
  • Columbus: Columbus municipal income tax is NOT included. Treat the ranked take-home as an Ohio state proxy, not a full city paycheck.
  • Cleveland: Cleveland municipal income tax is NOT included. Ohio city residents typically owe local income tax on top of state tax.

Myths vs reality

“Every big city has a NYC-style city income tax.”

Columbus and Cleveland do not add modeled city PIT. Gaps come from state tax and payroll. Caveat: Columbus municipal income tax is NOT included. Treat the ranked take-home as an Ohio state proxy, not a full city paycheck. Cleveland municipal income tax is NOT included. Ohio city residents typically owe local income tax on top of state tax.

“Moving from Columbus to Cleveland changes my income tax.”

Both are in Ohio — modeled take-home matches. Housing and COL (88 vs 82) change; the state return does not.

“Texas and Florida take-home always matches Washington.”

Washington has no wage PIT, but employee PFML can trim take-home below the TX/FL/NV cluster — check the SDI/PFML line on the scoreboard.

“COL-adjusted take-home is my real paycheck.”

It is a purchasing-power proxy only. Tax returns care about taxable wages and credits — not our relocation COL index.

How to use this comparison

Step 1

Read the scoreboard

Compare take-home, effective levy, and the federal / state / local / FICA split for both metros.

Step 2

Scan the income ladder

Confirm whether the $100k winner still leads at $50k, $150k, and $200k.

Step 3

Check same-state vs cross-state

Expect a tax tie — use COL and profiles for housing context.

Step 4

Personalize

Run custom gross and filing status in the Ohio and Ohio calculators.

Compare another pair

Compare any two metros

Take-home on $100,000 single — state rules, FICA, and modeled local tax.

Related tools

Columbus paycheck calculatorPersonalize Ohio take-homeCleveland paycheck calculatorPersonalize Ohio take-home$100k take-home by stateSame vignette ranked across all 50 statesSalary comparison by stateTake-home ladders beyond $100kRelocation salary calculatorCity COL + equivalent salaryReal raise by state5% after tax + CPI by state

Columbus vs Cleveland FAQs

They tie at about $77,212 on this single-filer vignette.

Columbus municipal income tax is NOT included. Treat the ranked take-home as an Ohio state proxy, not a full city paycheck. Cleveland municipal income tax is NOT included. Ohio city residents typically owe local income tax on top of state tax.

COL indexes here are 88 (Columbus) vs 82 (Cleveland). COL is not subtracted from take-home — use it as a purchasing-power hint alongside rent quotes.

Single filer, $100,000 gross, 2026 — federal + state income tax (+ NYC city tax when modeled) + employee FICA + state SDI/PFML when applicable. No 401(k), dependents, or stock.

Federal income tax on this vignette is about $13,170 in Columbus vs $13,170 in Cleveland.

Columbus (OH): state ~$1,968. Cleveland (OH): state ~$1,968.

Often yes. Check the income ladder table on this page ($50k–$200k). Bracket thresholds, FICA caps, and SDI ceilings can reorder winners as salary rises.

401(k)/IRA deferrals, dependents, stock compensation, remote multi-state sourcing, and unmodeled local wage taxes (Philly Wage Tax, Detroit city PIT, Ohio municipal, Pittsburgh EIT/LST). See caveats for Columbus and Cleveland. Not tax advice.

Glossary

Take-home pay
Gross wages minus modeled federal income tax, state/DC income tax, NYC city tax when applicable, employee FICA, and state SDI/PFML when applicable.
City wage tax
A local income or earnings tax on wages. Only NYC is modeled here; Philly, Detroit, Ohio cities, and Pittsburgh disclose unmodeled local taxes.
MSA
Metropolitan Statistical Area — Census population ranks (2023) select which metros appear on this hub.
FICA
Employee Social Security (6.2% to the 2026 wage base) and Medicare (1.45%) — IRS Topic 751; same in every city.
SDI / PFML
State Disability Insurance or Paid Family & Medical Leave employee withholdings (e.g. CA SDI, WA/MA PFML, capped NY SDI).
COL index
Cost-of-living index from our relocation city table (100 = national average). Used for context after the paycheck.
Effective employee levy
(Gross − take-home) ÷ gross — the share of salary withheld in this vignette.
Unmodeled local tax
A real city/municipal wage tax that exists but is not subtracted in our engine — flagged in the city’s caveat.