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Cost of Living in Dayton, Ohio

Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Dayton, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.

Population
136,688
Median household income
$45,846
Cost of living (US = 100)
92.7
Unemployment rate
7.2%

Is Dayton a good place to live?

Dayton is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 157 of the 178 other large US cities we track.

A typical worker in Dayton keeps $11,999 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job

  • Cost of living7% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
  • Rent$950 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
  • Taxes$599 of state income tax on a typical wage, plus $1,250 of local income tax

Cost of living in Dayton

Prices in the Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH area run 7% below the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 27% below the US average.

  • Housing27% below the US average
  • Goods (food, clothing, cars)6% below the US average
  • Utilities5% below the US average
  • Other services (healthcare and more)1% below the US average
  • All items7% below the US average

Monthly budget for one person

CostMonthlyYearly
Rent, 1-bedroom$950$11,400
Food$462$5,544
Transportation$365$4,380
Healthcare$348$4,176
Utilities$248$2,976
Total before taxes$2,373$28,476

Rent by apartment size

Monthly rentDaytonWhole metro area
Studio$858$909
1 bedroom$950$1,008
2 bedrooms$1,176$1,248
3 bedrooms$1,530$1,623
4 bedrooms$1,675$1,774

Living in Dayton

How Dayton compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).

MeasureDaytonUS
Median household income$45,846$81,604
Median home value$117,500$360,600
Median rent paid$1,042$1,487
Households renting47.8%34.7%
Unemployment rate7.2%4.6%
Living below the poverty line25.5%12.2%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher22.1%36.9%
Median age34.2 years39.2 years
Average commute, one way20.1 minutes27.2 minutes
Working from home9.7%13.3%
Commuting by public transit3.1%3.7%

The 1-year survey doesn’t publish commuting method for Dayton, so those figures come from the 2020–2024 5-year estimates.

Home internet

5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Dayton, led by Spectrum, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile. Fiber reaches 55.1% of homes and 56.9% can get gigabit speeds.

Pros and cons of living in Dayton

Pros

  • Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 20.1 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
  • Affordable homes to buy. The median home is worth $117,500, against $360,600 nationally.
  • Paychecks go further. A typical worker keeps $11,999 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs, more than in 157 of 178 large cities.
  • Cheaper rent. Median rent is $1,042 a month, against $1,487 nationally.

Cons

  • Higher unemployment. Unemployment is 7.2%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
  • Higher poverty rate. 25.5% of residents live below the poverty line, against 12.2% nationally.
  • Lower incomes. Median household income is $45,846, against $81,604 nationally.
  • Local income tax. Residents also pay City of Dayton income tax: $1,250 on a typical wage.

What your job keeps in Dayton

Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.

Typical worker in Dayton, OH
Typical salary
$49,980
Federal income tax
−$3,818
Payroll taxes
−$3,823
State income tax
−$599
Local income tax
−$1,250
Rent, 1-bedroom
−$11,400
Everyday costs
−$17,091
You keep$11,999

a year, or $1,000 a month

Pay: BLS OEWS Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.

From $49,980 gross, deductions leave $11,999 a year.
Salary$49,980Federal income tax−$3,818Payroll taxes−$3,823State income tax−$599Local income tax−$1,250Rent, 1-bedroom−$11,400Everyday costs−$17,091You keep$11,999

What the most common jobs keep here

The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH area.

JobMedian payYou keep
Software engineer$106,910$50,706
Project manager$98,130$44,990
Registered nurse$82,510$34,822
Accountant$79,030$32,562
Teacher$78,329$32,107
Electrician$61,870$20,929
Licensed practical nurse$61,770$20,855
Truck driver$59,490$19,142
Social worker$54,817$15,632
Nursing assistant$41,670$5,759

Other jobs, A–Z

What each keeps in Dayton on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.

  • Auto mechanic $9,836
  • Carpenter $18,270
  • Civil engineer $43,129
  • Data scientist $42,706
  • Dental assistant $11,046
  • Dental hygienist $36,117
  • Dentist $98,379
  • Diesel mechanic $21,574
  • Financial analyst $34,490
  • Firefighter $17,572
  • HVAC technician $21,402
  • Lawyer $48,923
  • Lineman $39,887
  • Mechanical engineer $46,975
  • Medical assistant $7,216
  • Nurse practitioner $58,063
  • Occupational therapist $48,707
  • Paralegal $18,533
  • Paramedic $14,088
  • Pharmacist $69,430
  • Pharmacy technician $8,259
  • Physical therapist $48,375
  • Physician assistant $70,874
  • Plumber $21,732
  • Police officer $30,792
  • Radiologic technologist $32,381
  • Respiratory therapist $34,112
  • Speech-language pathologist $44,203
  • Veterinarian $64,961
  • Welder $12,307

Local income tax: Ohio municipal tax applies to gross wages.

Compare Dayton with other cities

Compare Dayton with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.

Moving to Dayton

8 licensed interstate movers are based in Dayton, and 13 more elsewhere in the Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).

More cities in Ohio

Questions people ask

Is Dayton, OH a good place to live?

Dayton is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 157 of the 178 other large US cities we track. The typical worker here earns $49,980 and keeps $11,999 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.

What is the cost of living in Dayton?

Prices in the Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH area are 7% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $950 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,424 a month.

How much do you need to earn to live in Dayton?

A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $34,000 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH area earns $49,980.

What is the average rent in Dayton?

HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $858 for a studio, $950 for a 1-bedroom and $1,176 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Dayton at $1,042 a month (2024).

Does Dayton have a state or city income tax?

Yes. On a typical wage of $49,980, Ohio state income tax comes to about $599 a year. Dayton residents also pay City of Dayton income tax, about $1,250 on the same wage.

What internet providers serve Dayton?

5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Dayton, led by Spectrum, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile. 55.1% of homes can get fiber and 56.9% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).

Sources and method

Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.

Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate