Cost of living in Cincinnati: rent, homes and salary
In 2024, the regional price parity (RPP) published by BEA for the Cincinnati, OH metro area was 95.4, while the US stands at 100 and housing on its own at 87.6. That puts the cost of living in Cincinnati 4.6% below the US average.
- Level of prices
- 95.4US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- 87.6 for rents, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Cincinnati
One place's prices for an identical set of goods and services are compared with the US average, set at 100, in a regional price parity. BEA prices the whole Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area as one, and Cincinnati sits inside it. Housing (rents) lies farthest from the US average, at 87.6, or 12.4% under the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Cincinnati, OH metro | Ohio | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 95.4 | 92.8 | −4.6% |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 | −6.2% |
| Housing (rents) | 87.6 | 73.0 | −12.4% |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 95.8 | −9.0% |
| Other services | 99.0 | 98.9 | −1.0% |
Regional price parities for 2024, listed by metro area and state, come from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). BEA price parity data
Cincinnati rents
In Cincinnati, the typical asking rent runs $1,432 a month. Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) tracks rent on homes listed now, and shows it up 2.6% on a year. In the US, that figure is $1,932. Census median gross rent counts every renting household, not only new leases, and comes to $1,115. One year of the asking rent equals 30% of the median household income.
| Rent | Cincinnati | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $1,432 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +2.6% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $1,115 | $1,487 |
| Asking rent over a full year, as a percentage of median income | 30% | 28% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index; the Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024, with one-year estimates.
Cincinnati home prices
In September 2026, Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) put a typical home in Cincinnati at $245,743. That index tracks the value of a home in the middle range of the market. That figure is up 0.3% on a year, compared with $366,157 for the US. That price comes to 4.3 years of median household income, and the US number is 4.5 years.
| Home prices | Cincinnati | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $245,743 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | +0.3% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +88.9% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 4.3 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 14.3 | 15.8 |
Days on market, the forecast, and the price chart going back to 2000: Cincinnati housing market.
What salary you need to live in Cincinnati
Where you live and what you earn are the two things that set a Cincinnati salary with the buying power your pay has now.
- Moving away from
- Salary
Compare every city side by side and see the method: cost of living comparison.
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Cincinnati cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Level of prices | Housing | Rent, typical | Value of a typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | 95.4 | 87.6 | $1,432 | $245,743 |
| Columbus, Ohio | 95.5 | 87.9 | $1,471 | $243,122 |
| Cleveland, Ohio | 93.9 | 79.4 | $1,359 | $115,810 |
| Dayton | 92.7 | 72.7 | $1,241 | $137,939 |
| New York City | 112.6 | 148.6 | $4,089 | $825,854 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| Chicago | 103.6 | 112.0 | $2,311 | $334,108 |
| Houston | 98.6 | 104.5 | $1,544 | $259,465 |
| Phoenix | 103.3 | 121.2 | $1,571 | $404,067 |
Price levels: BEA regional price parities for 2024, US = 100. Rent figures: Zillow ZORI. Home values: Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
Every city ranked: city cost of living comparison. Every state: state cost of living.