Cost comparison
Compare rent, housing, utilities, groceries, salary needs, and move score across the city profiles currently available in LifeAtlas.
Ohio
Akron is a Northeast Ohio affordability market in Ohio, useful for starter comparisons around rent, housing, utilities, wages, benefits, insurance, and moving costs.
Ohio
Columbus is the growth-oriented Ohio launch market, with state-capital jobs, university and healthcare demand, and a housing-cost profile that still benchmarks well against larger coastal metros.
Comparison
Akron has the lower salary-needed estimate, while Akron has the lower starter rent. Differences are shown as Columbus minus Akron.
| Metric | Akron | Columbus | Difference | Advantage | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,135 | $1,456 | +$321 | Akron | Akron has the lower median rent. |
| Home price | $140,512 | $248,749 | +$108,237 | Akron | Akron has the lower home price. |
| Utilities | $178/mo | $168/mo | -$10/mo | Columbus | Columbus has the lower utilities. |
| Groceries index | 98 | 97 | -1 | Columbus | Columbus has the lower groceries index. |
| Salary needed | $48,600 | $56,000 | +$7,400 | Akron | Akron has the lower salary needed. |
| Move score | 86/100 | 86/100 | 0 | Even | Move score is the same in both cities. |