Moving to Ohio from Idaho

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Idaho to Ohio — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Idaho to Ohio, you would find that Ohio is 0.6% cheaper than Idaho. A $75,000 salary in Idaho would need to be roughly $68,939 in Ohio to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbus averages 76°F vs 64°F in Boise, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Idaho to Ohio.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $68,939

To maintain the same standard of living in Ohio

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 6.2% less

Transportation

pay 20.3% more

Housing

pay 2.8% less

Childcare

pay 0.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 12.8% 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.

Key Indicator Comparison

How Idaho and Ohio stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

ID
226
OH
284
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

ID
784
OH
1676

Idaho performs better than Ohio across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

ID
8.5%
OH
6.2%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

ID
33.5%
OH
39.5%

Idaho 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

ID
$376,000
OH
$199,200
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

ID
$1,150
OH
$988

Ohio generally does better on what about housing?, though Idaho leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

ID
91.3%
OH
89.0%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

ID
22 min
OH
24 min

Idaho performs better than Ohio across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

ID
3.5%
OH
4.0%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

ID
$49,054
OH
$60,669

Idaho generally does better on employment & economy, though Ohio leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

ID
78.4 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

ID
19%
OH
21%

Idaho generally does better on family life, though Ohio leads in bachelor's degree or higher.

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.

Boise Rain: 11.7 in/yr (298 mm)
64° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Boise Columbus
Jan–Mar 46°/29°F (8°/-2°C) 63°/41°F (17°/5°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) 84°/62°F (29°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 87°/57°F (30°/14°C) 90°/71°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/32°F (10°/0°C) 68°/47°F (20°/8°C)
View all months
Month Boise Columbus
Jan 38°/25°F (3.2°/-4.1°C) 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C)
Feb 45°/28°F (7.1°/-2.1°C) 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C)
Mar 55°/34°F (12.6°/1.3°C) 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C)
Apr 62°/39°F (16.8°/4.1°C) 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C)
May 72°/47°F (22.0°/8.1°C) 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C)
Jun 81°/54°F (27.4°/12.1°C) 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C)
Jul 91°/60°F (32.9°/15.8°C) 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)
Aug 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C) 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C)
Sep 79°/51°F (26.0°/10.6°C) 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C)
Oct 65°/41°F (18.2°/4.9°C) 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C)
Nov 48°/32°F (9.0°/-0.1°C) 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C)
Dec 38°/24°F (3.1°/-4.4°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 Idaho?

Generally yes: Ohio runs about 8% cheaper than Idaho on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Ohio?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $17,235 in Ohio for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Ohio safe?

Idaho performs better than Ohio across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Ohio compared to Idaho?

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

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

The average high temperature in Columbus is 76°F, compared to 64°F in Boise. Columbus receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while Boise gets 11.7 in.

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