Moving to Ohio from Colorado

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Colorado to Ohio? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Colorado to Ohio, you would find that Ohio is 13.9% cheaper than Colorado. A $75,000 salary in Colorado would need to be roughly $58,679 in Ohio to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbus averages 76°F vs 65°F in Denver, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Colorado and Ohio.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $58,679

To maintain the same standard of living in Ohio

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 17.6% less

Groceries

pay 10.8% less

Transportation

pay 0.1% more

Housing

pay 21.9% less

Childcare

pay 11.2% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 19.1% less

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Ohio cost about 24% less than cities in Colorado.

Colorado

Boulder 74%

Ohio

Dayton 58%
Akron 53%

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Ohio compared to Colorado.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

CO
463
OH
284
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

CO
2814
OH
1676

Ohio performs significantly better than Colorado across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

CO
7.3%
OH
6.2%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

CO
26.3%
OH
39.5%

Colorado generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ohio leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

CO
$502,200
OH
$199,200
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

CO
$1,693
OH
$988

Ohio performs significantly better than Colorado across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

CO
92.9%
OH
89.0%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

CO
26 min
OH
24 min

Colorado generally does better on infrastructure, though Ohio leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CO
3.6%
OH
4.0%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

CO
$74,650
OH
$60,669

Colorado performs better than Ohio across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

CO
78.3 yrs
OH
75.3 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

CO
30%
OH
21%

Colorado performs better than Ohio across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Denver Rain: 14.3 in/yr (363 mm)
65° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Columbus Rain: 46.8 in/yr (1188 mm)
76° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Denver Columbus
Jan–Mar 48°/21°F (9°/-6°C) 63°/41°F (17°/5°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/43°F (22°/6°C) 84°/62°F (29°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/55°F (29°/13°C) 90°/71°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 53°/26°F (12°/-3°C) 68°/47°F (20°/8°C)
View all months
Month Denver Columbus
Jan 44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C) 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C)
Feb 46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C) 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C)
Mar 54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C) 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C)
Apr 62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C) 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C)
May 71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C) 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C)
Jun 82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C) 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C)
Jul 89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C) 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)
Aug 87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C) 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C)
Sep 78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C) 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C)
Oct 65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C) 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C)
Nov 52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C) 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C)
Dec 43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°C) 59°/39°F (15.2°/3.8°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Ohio than Colorado?

On average Ohio is about 22% less expensive than Colorado, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Ohio?

Budget about $14,670 for 3 months in Ohio (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Ohio safe?

Ohio performs significantly better than Colorado across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Ohio compared to Colorado?

Colorado generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ohio leads in uninsured rate.

What's the weather like in Ohio compared to Colorado?

The average high temperature in Columbus is 76°F, compared to 65°F in Denver. Columbus receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while Denver gets 14.3 in.

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