USA Cost of Living Compare US cities and states with official data

Ohio vs California: cost of living compared

Statewide price levels and incomes from BEA (2024); gas prices from EIA (weekly).

Is it cheaper to live in Ohio or California?

  • Overall, California is 19.3% more expensive than Ohio (BEA, 2024).
  • To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Ohio works out to about $89,500 in California, before taxes.
  • Most of the difference is housing, which costs 111.4% more in California. Goods are 13.3% higher and other services 3.7% higher.
  • Utility prices (electricity, gas, water) are 65.8% higher in California.
  • After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $63,028 in California and $56,232 in Ohio (12.1% higher in California; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
  • Inside each state, metro price levels run from 95.2 in El Centro, CA to 115.6 in San Francisco, CA (California) and from 87.4 in Youngstown, OH to 95.5 in Columbus, OH (Ohio), US = 100.
  • The gap is about where it was in 2019 (19.1%).

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities and real personal income by state. Statewide averages mix cities and rural areas; taxes are not included. How we calculate.

Try your own salary

18% matches BEA's average basket. Set your own share if housing takes more or less of your budget.

Category by category

Both states against the US average (100).

Housing drives the gap: 111.4% higher in California than in Ohio

Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.

  • Ohio
  • California
All items
92.8 110.7
Goods
93.7 106.1
Housing (rents)
73.0 154.3
Utilities
95.8 158.9
Other services
98.9 102.6

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
OhioCalifornia
All items92.8110.7
Goods93.7106.1
Housing (rents)73.0154.3
Utilities95.8158.9
Other services98.9102.6
CategoryOhioCaliforniaCalifornia vs Ohio
All items92.8110.7+19.3%
Goods93.7106.1+13.3%
Housing (rents)73.0154.3+111.4%
Utilities95.8158.9+65.8%
Other services98.9102.6+3.7%
Income per person, adjusted for prices $56,232 $63,028 +12.1%
Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026 $4.05 $6.03 +49.0%
Salary to match $75,000 in Ohio $75,000 $89,500 +19.3%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Income: BEA real personal income per person, 2017 dollars. Gas: EIA weekly retail prices.

Cheapest and most expensive places in each state

Ohio

  1. Youngstown, OH 87.4
  2. Wheeling, WV 88.3
  3. Huntington, WV 88.4
  4. Mansfield, OH 88.9
  5. Weirton, WV 89.0
  6. Sandusky, OH 89.3
  7. Canton, OH 89.4
  8. Lima, OH 89.7
  9. Springfield, OH 90.5
  10. Toledo, OH 91.5
  11. Dayton, OH 92.7
  12. Akron, OH 93.4
  13. Cleveland, OH 93.9
  14. Cincinnati, OH 95.4
  15. Columbus, OH 95.5

California

  1. El Centro, CA 95.2
  2. Merced, CA 98.3
  3. Visalia, CA 99.8
  4. Redding, CA 100.7
  5. Bakersfield, CA 100.9
  6. Chico, CA 101.2
  7. Hanford, CA 101.6
  8. Fresno, CA 102.2
  9. Modesto, CA 104.1
  10. Yuba City, CA 104.2
  11. Stockton, CA 105.1
  12. Riverside, CA 106.4
  13. Sacramento, CA 106.7
  14. Santa Rosa, CA 107.8
  15. Vallejo, CA 108.5
  16. San Luis Obispo, CA 108.6
  17. Santa Maria, CA 108.8
  18. Salinas, CA 109.0
  19. Santa Cruz, CA 109.9
  20. San Jose, CA 110.4
  21. Oxnard, CA 110.5
  22. San Diego, CA 111.9
  23. Napa, CA 112.6
  24. Los Angeles, CA 113.6
  25. San Francisco, CA 115.6

Metro areas ordered from cheapest to most expensive. BEA, 2024, US = 100.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between Ohio and California has been fairly stable since 2008

Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.

  • Ohio
  • California
US average = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
OhioCalifornia
200892.5111.2
200993.5110.7
201093.1109.7
201192.2109.5
201293.0109.7
201393.3109.7
201493.0109.9
201592.2110.7
201692.3110.0
201791.9111.0
201893.0111.9
201993.3111.1
202091.9111.9
202192.2111.9
202291.5112.6
202391.9112.2
202492.8110.7

Goods

  • Ohio
  • California
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
OhioCalifornia
200892.3107.4
200994.0104.7
201094.4103.0
201194.7103.6
201296.2104.1
201397.0104.3
201497.2104.3
201596.7105.5
201696.1104.4
201795.3104.5
201897.3105.5
201995.8106.2
202093.9106.7
202194.5108.1
202292.4108.4
202394.2106.8
202493.7106.1

Housing (rents)

  • Ohio
  • California
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
OhioCalifornia
200877.1161.4
200976.1160.4
201076.3158.0
201175.6157.1
201276.3156.2
201377.6155.7
201475.5157.9
201575.6158.0
201675.1160.1
201775.0162.5
201874.2163.8
201973.5164.6
202073.3166.3
202172.8165.0
202272.8160.1
202372.1157.8
202473.0154.3

Utilities

  • Ohio
  • California
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
OhioCalifornia
200898.8111.4
200999.7112.8
201094.2117.2
201193.1115.3
201293.4117.1
201395.0121.4
201491.9128.3
201591.3129.3
201688.5129.5
201789.0130.7
201894.5125.1
201990.7131.0
202091.3133.5
202191.9144.2
202287.6152.3
202389.2147.3
202495.8158.9

Other services

  • Ohio
  • California
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
OhioCalifornia
200897.8101.9
200999.1102.0
201098.1101.7
201196.1101.6
201296.4101.9
201396.0101.8
201496.1101.9
201594.8102.8
201695.8101.9
201795.4103.3
201896.3104.3
201998.5102.4
202097.5101.9
202197.5102.1
202297.7103.9
202397.5104.4
202498.9102.6

What incomes buy in each state

Income per person after adjusting for prices: $63,028 in California, $56,232 in Ohio

Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).

  • Ohio
  • California
  • United States

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.

Show the numbers
OhioCaliforniaUnited States
2008$44,461$43,788$45,816
2009$42,867$42,377$44,204
2010$43,467$43,503$44,808
2011$45,562$44,844$45,957
2012$45,869$46,162$46,796
2013$45,680$45,826$46,358
2014$46,857$47,472$47,661
2015$48,895$50,054$49,396
2016$49,223$51,802$49,828
2017$50,280$52,569$51,006
2018$50,500$53,523$52,242
2019$51,249$55,931$53,683
2020$55,074$59,993$56,514
2021$57,339$63,373$59,365
2022$54,882$59,126$57,104
2023$55,789$60,100$58,088
2024$56,232$63,028$59,195

More

Related state comparisons

What this comparison leaves out

  • Taxes. State income, sales and property taxes differ a lot between states and are not included.
  • Where you live inside the state. Statewide figures average cities and rural areas; the metro lists above show the spread.
  • Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider if housing is a bigger share of your budget.
  • Timing. BEA price levels and incomes are for 2024; gas prices are weekly.

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