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Cincinnati, OH vs Cleveland, OH: sales tax compared

Quick answer

Cleveland, OH is the higher-tax metro at 8%, versus 7.85% in Cincinnati, OH. The 0.15% gap works out to $0.15 on a $100 purchase, $1.50 on $1,000 and $37.50 on a $25,000 purchase.

Rate gap
0.15%Percentage points, combined rate
Extra tax on $1,000
$1.50Paid in Cleveland
Extra tax on $25,000
$37.50Vehicle-sized purchase

Cincinnati, OH

Hamilton County

Components estimated

7.85%

Combined rate · ranked #49 of 94 covered metros

Sales tax rate composition for Cincinnati, OH: 5.75% Ohio state, 1.3% Hamilton County, 0.8% Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, totalling 7.85%.
Jurisdiction breakdown for Cincinnati
LevelJurisdictionRate
stateOhio state5.75%
countyHamilton County1.3%
special districtSouthwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority0.8%
Population
311,097
Median household income
$51,219

Hamilton County's transit sales tax replaced Cincinnati's earnings-tax funding of Metro, shifting the burden from workers to shoppers.

Source: Ohio Department of Taxation · rates as published for 2026-01-01

Full Cincinnati sales tax page

Cleveland, OH

Cuyahoga County

Verified against state table

8%

Combined rate · ranked #45 of 94 covered metros

Sales tax rate composition for Cleveland, OH: 5.75% Ohio state, 1.25% Cuyahoga County, 1% Greater Cleveland RTA, totalling 8%.
Jurisdiction breakdown for Cleveland
LevelJurisdictionRate
stateOhio state5.75%
countyCuyahoga County1.25%
special districtGreater Cleveland RTA1%
Population
362,656
Median household income
$41,928

Cuyahoga County's combined 8% is the highest in Ohio, driven by the RTA transit levy.

Source: Ohio Department of Taxation · rates as published for 2026-01-01

Full Cleveland sales tax page

How the difference is calculated

Same arithmetic the calculator on every page runs.

Each combined rate is the sum of its listed state, county, city and special-district components — no rounding is applied before the total. The dollar gap is the rate difference (0.15%) applied to the pre-tax amount: 0.15% of $1,000 is $1.50. Neither figure includes product-specific exemptions; groceries, clothing and digital goods can be taxed at a different rate or not at all, which is covered on each state's rules page.

Questions people ask

Direct answers to the questions this comparison raises.

Which has a higher sales tax rate, Cincinnati or Cleveland?

Cleveland, OH at 8%, versus 7.85% in Cincinnati, OH.

How much more sales tax would I pay in Cleveland on a $1,000 purchase?

About $1.50 more, and roughly $37.50 more on a $25,000 vehicle-sized purchase.

Why do Cincinnati and Cleveland have different rates?

The state share is 5.75% in OH and 5.75% in OH. The rest comes from county, city and special-district increments stacked on top, which are set locally and listed in full on this page.

Other comparisons involving Cincinnati.