Moving to Ohio from Oregon

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Oregon to Ohio — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Oregon to Ohio, you would find that Ohio is 3.4% cheaper than Oregon. A $75,000 salary in Oregon would need to be roughly $67,763 in Ohio to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbus averages 76°F vs 64°F in Salem, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Oregon to Ohio.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $67,763

To maintain the same standard of living in Ohio

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 8.6% less

Groceries

pay 4.1% less

Transportation

pay 5.2% more

Housing

pay 12.2% less

Childcare

pay 11.0% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 12.1% 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 17% less than cities in Oregon.

Oregon

Portland 68%
Beaverton 66%
Bend 66%

Ohio

Dayton 58%
Akron 53%

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Oregon to Ohio.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OR
323
OH
284
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OR
2566
OH
1676

Ohio performs significantly better than Oregon across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

OR
6.1%
OH
6.2%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

OR
31.9%
OH
39.5%

Oregon performs better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

OR
$454,200
OH
$199,200
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

OR
$1,450
OH
$988

Ohio performs significantly better than Oregon 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

OR
91.8%
OH
89.0%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

OR
23 min
OH
24 min

Oregon 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

OR
5.1%
OH
4.0%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

OR
$61,622
OH
$60,669

Oregon generally does better on employment & economy, though Ohio leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

OR
78.8 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

OR
26%
OH
21%

Oregon 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.

Salem Rain: 39.7 in/yr (1008 mm)
64° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Salem Columbus
Jan–Mar 52°/36°F (11°/2°C) 63°/41°F (17°/5°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/45°F (20°/7°C) 84°/62°F (29°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 80°/51°F (27°/11°C) 90°/71°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/38°F (12°/3°C) 68°/47°F (20°/8°C)
View all months
Month Salem Columbus
Jan 48°/35°F (8.7°/1.5°C) 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C)
Feb 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.4°C) 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C)
Mar 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.9°C) 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C)
Apr 61°/40°F (16.2°/4.2°C) 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C)
May 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.1°C) 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C)
Jun 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.6°C) 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C)
Jul 82°/53°F (27.8°/11.7°C) 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)
Aug 82°/53°F (28.0°/11.6°C) 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C)
Sep 77°/48°F (24.9°/9.1°C) 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C)
Oct 64°/42°F (17.8°/5.7°C) 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C)
Nov 53°/38°F (11.4°/3.6°C) 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C)
Dec 46°/34°F (7.9°/1.1°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 Oregon?

Yes — Ohio is on average about 10% cheaper than Oregon. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to Ohio?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $16,941 in Ohio on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Ohio safe?

Ohio performs significantly better than Oregon across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Ohio compared to Oregon?

Oregon performs better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Columbus is 76°F, compared to 64°F in Salem. Columbus receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while Salem gets 39.7 in.

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