City profile
Cincinnati, OH cost of living
OH · BEA RPP 95.37
2024 overall RPP
95.37
US = 100
2024 housing-rent RPP
87.608
Housing component
2024 goods RPP
93.751
Goods component
2-BR FMR (HUD)
$1,442/mo
FY2027 FMR
Where Cincinnati, OH sits in the verified metro set
RPP rank
#50 of 67
-4.6 vs U.S. average
Vs median metro
-4.1
median RPP 99.5
2-BR rent rank
#51 of 67
-247/mo vs median verified metro
RPP ranks use only verified ReloMath metro records. Sources: BEA MARPP 2024 (all items, housing, goods, other services); HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent; reviewed 2026-10-04. These are historical area benchmarks, not current neighborhood prices. HUD FMR is a 40th-percentile gross-rent benchmark, not median rent. BEA metro and HUD rent-area boundaries can differ. BEA: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN (Metropolitan Statistical Area) (code 17140). HUD: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area (code METRO17140M17140); counties or county equivalents: Boone County, Bracken County, Butler County, Campbell County, Clermont County, Dearborn County, Gallatin County, Hamilton County, Kenton County, Ohio County, Pendleton County, Warren County. The official files were retrieved 2026-10-04.
Who’s moving in and out of Cincinnati, OH
IRS tax-return migration · 2022-2023Cost of living is only half the relocation question. The other half is which way people are actually voting with their feet, straight from IRS tax-return migration for the Cincinnati, OH metro.
Moved in
19,165
people · 12,486 households
Moved out
21,639
people · 14,364 households
Net
−2,474
net loss of residents
Net migration rank
#42 of 65
among IRS-covered ReloMath metros
Vs median net flow
-2,845
median +371 people
Largest flow share
19% in / 18% out
top named county shares
Where new residents came from
- Montgomery County, OH 3,709
- Franklin County, OH 1,577
- Greene County, OH 770
- Jefferson County, KY 663
- Clinton County, OH 650
Where residents moved to
- Montgomery County, OH 3,872
- Franklin County, OH 1,765
- Cook County, IL 852
- Clinton County, OH 827
- Greene County, OH 736
Counts are IRS tax filers (returns ≈ households, individuals ≈ exemptions) who changed address between 2022-2023. Flows too small for IRS to disclose are grouped and excluded from the named lists. Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration data ↗, mapped to metros via the U.S. Census CBSA delineation.
What salary do you need in Cincinnati, OH?
Historical BEA 2024 salary illustration relative to the U.S. average (RPP 100), before tax and household adjustments. Housing is already included in overall RPP.
| In US-average city | You need in Cincinnati, OH | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $47,685 | $50,000 x (95.37/100) |
| $75,000 | $71,528 | $75,000 x (95.37/100) |
| $100,000 | $95,370 | $100,000 x (95.37/100) |
| $125,000 | $119,213 | $125,000 x (95.37/100) |
| $150,000 | $143,055 | $150,000 x (95.37/100) |
| $200,000 | $190,740 | $200,000 x (95.37/100) |
Salary illustrations use BEA 2024 overall Regional Price Parities (RPP) only, before tax and household-specific adjustments. Overall RPP already includes housing. HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent is a separate historical gross-rent benchmark, not a current lease or median rent. Do not add rent to the RPP salary figure. Your lease and moving quote belong in a separate budget. Not financial advice.
Step 2: what will the move itself cost?
The historical salary illustration is separate from moving payments. Use an actual mover quote and lease terms in your budget summary.
State income tax note
Income tax and payroll deductions are not calculated. Obtain take-home estimates for your actual work and home addresses.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Cincinnati, OH?
- In the historical BEA 2024 benchmark, Cincinnati, OH has an overall Regional Price Parity of 95.37 (US average = 100). Its overall price level is 4.6% lower than the national average for that year.
- What salary do I need to live in Cincinnati, OH?
- If you earn $100,000 in a US-average city (RPP 100), the BEA 2024 RPP illustration is approximately $95,370 in Cincinnati, OH, before tax and household adjustments.
- What historical rent benchmark is shown for Cincinnati, OH?
- The historical HUD Fair Market Rent benchmark for a 2-bedroom associated with Cincinnati, OH is $1,442 per month as of FY2027.
- Are people moving to or away from Cincinnati, OH?
- Based on IRS tax-return migration data for 2022-2023, about 19,165 people moved into the Cincinnati, OH metro and 21,639 moved out — a net loss of roughly 2,474 residents. The largest single source of new residents was Montgomery County, OH.
Curated nearby & similar cities
Similar verified metros by RPP
These links are chosen by data proximity: closest overall RPP to Cincinnati, OH, with HUD 2-BR rent as a tie-breaker.
Curated cost-of-living comparisons for Cincinnati, OH
Side-by-side cost of living and the equivalent salary you'd need — pick a destination.
Check published data changes
Review dated source notices for tracked metros alongside Cincinnati, OH's historical benchmarks. Change-log entries do not automatically refresh the BEA 2024 or HUD FY2027 values shown here.
View cost-of-living change log