Moving to Ohio from North Carolina

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from North Carolina to Ohio, you would find that Ohio is 7.5% cheaper than North Carolina. A $75,000 salary in North Carolina would need to be roughly $64,608 in Ohio to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbus averages 76°F vs 67°F in Asheville, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between North Carolina and Ohio.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $64,608

To maintain the same standard of living in Ohio

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 2.1% less

Groceries

pay 17.5% less

Transportation

pay 5.7% more

Housing

pay 12.4% less

Childcare

pay 15.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 4.8% 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.

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 17% less than cities in North Carolina.

North Carolina

Durham 74%

Ohio

Dayton 58%
Akron 53%

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Ohio compared to North Carolina.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NC
379
OH
284
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NC
1998
OH
1676

Ohio performs significantly better than North Carolina across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

NC
9.6%
OH
6.2%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NC
33.6%
OH
39.5%

North Carolina 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

NC
$259,400
OH
$199,200
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NC
$1,162
OH
$988

Ohio performs significantly better than North Carolina 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

NC
88.7%
OH
89.0%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NC
25 min
OH
24 min

Ohio performs significantly better than North Carolina across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NC
3.4%
OH
4.0%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NC
$59,308
OH
$60,669

North Carolina 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

NC
76.1 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

NC
22%
OH
21%

North Carolina 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.

Asheville Rain: 37.0 in/yr (940 mm)
67° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Asheville Columbus
Jan–Mar 52°/32°F (11°/0°C) 63°/41°F (17°/5°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) 84°/62°F (29°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) 90°/71°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) 68°/47°F (20°/8°C)
View all months
Month Asheville Columbus
Jan 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C)
Feb 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C) 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C)
Mar 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C) 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C)
Apr 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C)
May 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C) 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C)
Jun 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C)
Jul 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C) 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)
Aug 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C) 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C)
Sep 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C) 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C)
Oct 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C) 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C)
Nov 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C) 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C)
Dec 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°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 North Carolina?

On average Ohio is about 14% less expensive than North Carolina, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Ohio?

Budget about $16,152 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 North Carolina across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Ohio compared to North Carolina?

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

What's the weather like in Ohio compared to North Carolina?

The average high temperature in Columbus is 76°F, compared to 67°F in Asheville. Columbus receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while Asheville gets 37.0 in.

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