Relocation Guide · Pennsylvania → Columbus
Moving from Pennsylvania to Columbus
Read this before you move: on retirement income, Pennsylvania is one of the most generous states in the country — and Ohio is not. Here is exactly what changes.
The honest warning most agents will not give you: Pennsylvania does not tax retirement income at all — not Social Security, not pensions, not IRA or 401(k) withdrawals — for residents past retirement age. Ohio taxes your pension and 401(k) withdrawals as ordinary income. So moving from PA to Ohio means you will start paying state income tax on retirement income you currently keep tax-free. That is a real cost, and you should price it in before you fall for a community.
What you start paying
At Ohio’s flat 2.75% (2026) on the portion of pension and 401(k) income above roughly $26,050, a retiree drawing, say, $50,000 in taxable pension/401(k) income would owe on the order of $650–$700 a year in Ohio income tax — money that is currently zero in Pennsylvania. It is not enormous, but it is new, and it recurs every year. Social Security stays untaxed in both states, so only your pension and retirement-account withdrawals are affected.
| Factor | Pennsylvania | Ohio (Columbus) |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security | Not taxed | Not taxed |
| Pension / 401(k) / IRA | Not taxed (retirement age) | Taxed (flat 2.75%) |
| Property tax (effective) | Varies widely (~1.4%–2.2%) | ~1.69% Franklin / ~1.9% Delaware |
| Inheritance tax | Yes (PA has one) | No state inheritance/estate tax |
What you may gain to offset it
The picture is not one-sided. Pennsylvania levies a state inheritance tax; Ohio does not — which can matter for estate planning. Pennsylvania property taxes in many counties (especially in the southeast and parts of the Pittsburgh area) run high, sometimes above Franklin County’s rate, so depending on where you live now, your Columbus property tax could be comparable or even lower. And of course, most PA movers come for family, a faster-growing metro, or a specific community — not for the income-tax line.
Net it out before you commit. The new Ohio income tax on your pension is the cost; no inheritance tax, possibly lower property tax than your PA county, and the family/lifestyle reasons for the move are the offsets. For many it still pencils — but only if you have actually run your numbers rather than assumed Ohio is “tax-friendly” in the way PA is.
Where Pennsylvania movers tend to land
To keep the property-tax side favorable and offset the new income tax, Franklin County suburbs — Grove City, Hilliard, Westerville, Gahanna — are the sensible target. Pittsburgh-area movers in particular often find Franklin County’s rate familiar or better. If you qualify for the Ohio 65+ homestead exemption, claim it to trim the property-tax line.
See your real PA-to-Ohio tax change
Send your retirement income mix and current property tax — we will model exactly what the move costs and saves.
Run my numbersTax rules in both states change and depend on your full financial picture, age, and income. Confirm current figures and consult a tax professional before relocating. This is general information, not tax advice.