Moving from Ohio to California: Cost & Tax Comparison
Compare state income tax savings, HUD rent differentials, and household purchasing power adjustments when relocating from Ohio to California.
Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology
What changes when you move from Ohio to California
Ohio has a flat 2.75% income tax and California has graduated income tax rates up to 13.3%. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $1,981 in state income tax in Ohio and $4,911 in state income tax in California. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax rises by $4,229 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $946 a month across Ohio's metro areas and $1,899 across California's (+100.7%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $49,658 in Ohio and $58,891 in California. City and county income taxes, which some localities add, are not included in these state-level figures; the metro routes below include them.
Metropolitan Corridors Between Ohio & California
Moving from Ohio to California on a $100,000 salary: pay $4,229 more in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,899 vs $946 a month (HUD FMR).
Quick answers
For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $4,229 higher in California than in Ohio (4.2 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across California's metros is $1,899 a month, versus $946 in Ohio (+100.7%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by -$15,664 a year.
Ohio: Flat Tax, top rate 2.75%. California: Graduated Brackets, top rate 13.3%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.