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Cleveland, OH vs Columbus, OH: sales tax compared

Quick answer

Cleveland, OH is the higher-tax metro at 8%, versus 7.5% in Columbus, OH. The 0.5% gap works out to $0.50 on a $100 purchase, $5.00 on $1,000 and $125.00 on a $25,000 purchase.

Rate gap
0.5%Percentage points, combined rate
Extra tax on $1,000
$5.00Paid in Cleveland
Extra tax on $25,000
$125.00Vehicle-sized purchase

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

Columbus, OH

Franklin County

Verified against state table

7.5%

Combined rate · ranked #59 of 94 covered metros

Sales tax rate composition for Columbus, OH: 5.75% Ohio state, 1.25% Franklin County, 0.5% Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), totalling 7.5%.
Jurisdiction breakdown for Columbus
LevelJurisdictionRate
stateOhio state5.75%
countyFranklin County1.25%
special districtCentral Ohio Transit Authority (COTA)0.5%
Population
913,175
Median household income
$65,051

Ohio sets sales tax at county level, and COTA's transit levy applies across most of Franklin County rather than only inside Columbus.

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

Full Columbus 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 (0.5%) applied to the pre-tax amount: 0.5% of $1,000 is $5.00. 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, Cleveland or Columbus?

Cleveland, OH at 8%, versus 7.5% in Columbus, OH.

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

About $5.00 more, and roughly $125.00 more on a $25,000 vehicle-sized purchase.

Why do Cleveland and Columbus 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 Cleveland.