Ohio and West Virginia at a glance
Moving between Ohio and West Virginia changes more than the scenery. On a $60,000 salary, Ohio leaves $29,985 a year after taxes, rent, food, energy and gasoline; West Virginia leaves $31,148.
West Virginia comes out ahead by $1,163 a year ($97 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 11,810,293 people in 88 counties in Ohio and 1,778,373 people in 55 counties in West Virginia.
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 $875 in Ohio and $1,965 in West Virginia, which leaves take-home pay of $49,464 and $48,374.
At $100,000
At $100,000 take-home pay is $76,920 in Ohio and $75,016 in West Virginia, a difference of $1,904. The gap widens with income because graduated state brackets take a growing share.
Living costs
One-bedroom rent averages $1,027 a month in Ohio and $840 in West Virginia, so West Virginia is $187 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 $2,214 and $2,169, and gasoline $1,504 and $1,543. Together the basics cost $19,479 a year in Ohio and $17,225 in West Virginia.
What the Census adds
Median household income is $71,389 in Ohio and $59,608 in West Virginia. Homeowners pay a median of $2,822 a year in property tax in Ohio and $865 in West Virginia. Commuters travel 23.4 minutes each way on average in Ohio and 26.6 in West Virginia.
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.