Moving from San Francisco to Columbus
Moving from San Francisco to Columbus
You'd keep $258 more a month in Columbus. +$3,096 a year.
Who already made this move
In 2022-2023, 125 households moved San Francisco → Columbus (about 174 people, average AGI $117,872). 175 households went the other way.
Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.
| Per month | San Francisco | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home | $7,403 | $5,687 |
| Rent | $2,609 | $1,174 |
| All other costs | $2,414 | $1,875 |
| Left over | $2,380 | $2,638 |
Full line-by-line comparison →
What the move itself costs
About 2,532 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $4,850–$9,150
- Container or pod
- $3,500–$6,600
- Rent a truck
- $2,250–$4,250
Dig into Columbus
Paycheck
Take-home pay after tax and rent, and what's left at the end of the month.
Who moved
Which metros people actually left and arrived from, according to IRS tax returns.
Rent vs buy
Asking rent, the median home, property tax, and months to a down payment.
Monthly costs
Groceries, getting around, utilities, healthcare and childcare at your household size.
Daily life
Homicide and firearm death rates, heat, cars and commute.
Kids
Public-school enrollment, pupil–teacher ratio, bedrooms and childcare.
Getting there
What the move itself costs from where you live now, and how to find a mover you can trust.
Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Columbus than San Francisco?
A one-bedroom is about $2,609 in San Francisco versus $1,174 in Columbus. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $258 a month higher in Columbus. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Columbus have state income tax?
Columbus is in Ohio, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 2.50%.
Did people actually move from San Francisco to Columbus?
When IRS county-to-county data covers this pair, the page lists how many households made the San Francisco → Columbus move and their average AGI. Leftover after tax and rent is shown for the same household on both sides.