Indiana and Ohio at a glance
Moving between Indiana and Ohio changes more than the scenery. On a $60,000 salary, Indiana leaves $28,806 a year after taxes, rent, food, energy and gasoline; Ohio leaves $29,985.
Ohio comes out ahead by $1,179 a year ($98 a month). The calculation starts from the same gross pay in both states, subtracts federal tax, Social Security and Medicare, then each state's own income tax, and then the population-weighted cost of a one-bedroom rental, groceries, home energy and gasoline across 6,851,073 people in 92 counties in Indiana and 11,810,293 people in 88 counties in Ohio.
Taxes: what each paycheck loses
Federal income tax ($5,072) and FICA ($4,590) on $60,000 are the same on both sides of the border. State income tax takes $1,770 in Indiana and $875 in Ohio, which leaves take-home pay of $48,569 and $49,464.
At $100,000
At $100,000 take-home pay is $75,931 in Indiana and $76,920 in Ohio, a difference of $989. The gap widens with income because graduated state brackets take a growing share.
Living costs
One-bedroom rent averages $1,082 a month in Indiana and $1,027 in Ohio, so Ohio is $54 a month cheaper for housing. Food costs $3,436 a year in both, because the USDA Thrifty Food Plan is a national figure; home energy $1,927 and $2,214, and gasoline $1,421 and $1,504. Together the basics cost $19,762 a year in Indiana and $19,479 in Ohio.
What the Census adds
Median household income is $71,957 in Indiana and $71,389 in Ohio. Homeowners pay a median of $1,614 a year in property tax in Indiana and $2,822 in Ohio. Commuters travel 24.1 minutes each way on average in Indiana and 23.4 in Ohio.
Method
Taxes use the 2025 rules for a single filer with wage income only and the standard deduction. Housing and living costs are county figures from HUD (one-bedroom Fair Market Rent), the USDA Thrifty Food Plan and state energy prices from the Energy Information Administration, averaged across each state's counties and weighted by population, so large counties count more. Local income taxes are not included. Counties differ widely inside every state, so use the county pages for a specific place.