State relocation profile · Federal data
Ohio
Ohio sits in the cheaper third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 92.8
- Cost index (US=100)
- $1,092
- 2BR rent / mo
- $69,736
- Median salary
- 53
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Ohio ranks #19 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (53/100, D), with its strongest marks in schools and rent.
- #19 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 53
- Life Score · D
- 92.8
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $69,736
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: environment (4/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), Ohio ranks #19 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 92.8 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $1,092/mo, median salary $69,736; Life Score 53/100 (D), strongest in schools and rent.
Signature: BEA RPP 92.8 sits mid-pack (#17 of 51 states); cost is not the extreme signal here.
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP 92.8 lands in the cheaper third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $1,092/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $69,736.
Composite Life Score 53/100 (D) sits mid-pack (#19 of 51).
Metro book is dense (12 MSAs); drill a named metro before treating the state average as a destination.
Life Score plate
Sheet OH · Ohio 53/100 · D · #19 of 51
LIFE-D · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-CHEAP · LEAD-SCHOOLS · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-D Life Score D
- RANK-UPPER #19/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.1 pts
- RPP-CHEAP RPP 92.8
- LEAD-SCHOOLS Lead · schools
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: New Mexico (+ 0.1 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around Ohio
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Ohio on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
Ohio childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for Ohio (infant $11,791/yr leads the book).
Ohio Life Score breakdown
Ohio composites to 53/100 (D) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #19 of 51.
Ohio - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Schools
Schools
90 /100
- Rent
Rent
70 /100
- Cost of living
Cost of living
68 /100
- Safety
Safety
50 /100
- Wages
Wages
42 /100
- Childcare
Childcare
36 /100
- Environment 4
Environment
4 /100
What this shows Ohio's strongest dimensions are schools and rent; its weakest among scored dims is environment at 4/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near Ohio on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to Ohio on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in Ohio
Explore detailed relocation data for 12 metropolitan areas in Ohio. Ohio contains 12 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Akron, Canton-Massillon, Cincinnati and more - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Akron metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Ohio cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Ohio wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.