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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Here's where the story takes a turn: 6 of 6 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 6 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices.
#1 Ranked: Toledo — cost index 83, rent $1,060/mo, income $47,532
6 of 6 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K
6 of 6 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Here's where the story takes a turn: 6 of 6 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 6 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 6 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 6 cities in Ohio using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Toledo comes out on top — here's the full ranking and analysis.
A closer look at Toledo: the cost index of 83 breaks down to a Housing index of 57 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 85 (weakest). And in most cases, median rent is $1,060/month — 44% below the national median — while household income sits at $47,532, meaning locals spend about 27% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
Factor in the cost side, though, and the picture shifts. State context matters: Ohio's 6 cities average a 88 cost index with $1,261/month median rent and $49,292 household income. Rust Belt revival with some of the lowest costs in the US. The real advantage shows up when you factor in income.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 6 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices.
Rent in #1-ranked Toledo has increased from $1,014 to $1,060/mo over the past 12 months — a 5% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
265,304 residents · Ohio
Why Toledo ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 83 on the cost index, residents save roughly 29% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,060/month while the median household pulls in $47,532/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 57, though Healthcare (85) lags behind. Home prices average $126,270 — $341,100 below the national median.
188,701 residents · Ohio
What does daily life actually cost in Akron? Start with the 28% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 61) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 87) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $48,544 and homes at $134,376 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons.
135,512 residents · Ohio
A closer look at Dayton: the cost index of 85 breaks down to a Housing index of 63 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 88 (weakest). Median rent is $1,186/month — 37% below the national median — while household income sits at $43,454, meaning locals spend about 33% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
362,656 residents · Ohio
Why Cleveland ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. At 87 on the cost index, residents save roughly 25% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,344/month while the median household pulls in $39,187/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 67, though Healthcare (89) lags behind. Home prices average $113,669 — $353,701 below the national median.
913,175 residents · Ohio
Dive into Columbus's numbers: cost index 94 (18 points below national average), rent $1,415/month, income $65,327, and a home price of $243,005. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 84, while Healthcare runs 96. As a major city with 913,175 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Toledo | 3.5% | 7.24% | 1.36% | $104,233 |
2Akron | 3.5% | 7.24% | 1.36% | $104,233 |
3Dayton | 3.5% | 7.24% | 1.36% | $104,233 |
4Cleveland | 3.5% | 7.24% | 1.36% | $104,233 |
5Columbus | 3.5% | 7.24% | 1.36% | $104,233 |
6Cincinnati | 3.5% | 7.24% | 1.36% | $104,233 |
We model what a $150K salary looks like after taxes in each city: federal income tax (marginal brackets), FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. Then we compare take-home against local rent and costs to determine where the salary stretches furthest. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Toledo ranks #1 in Ohio for this analysis with a cost index of 83 and median income of $47,532.
Yes. On a $150K salary in Toledo, rent would consume about 8% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Toledo (ranked #1) has a cost index of 83 and rent of $1,060/mo, while Cincinnati (ranked #6) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,425/mo — a 11-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Toledo is $1,060/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $835 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 3.5% state income tax, estimated take-home on $150K in Toledo is approximately $104,233/year ($8,686/month). After median rent of $1,060/month, you'd have roughly $91,513/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Toledo is $126,270, which is 2.7× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. The national median home price is $467,370.
Ohio has a 3.5% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.24%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.36%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.