City comparison
Austin, TX vs Dayton, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 5.8% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $105,800 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Dayton, OH than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.9% moving from Austin, TX to Dayton, OH ($109,428 → $110,401), while prices change by −5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.7% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Dayton, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 92.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,522 in Dayton | $105,795 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,009/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $49,980 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Dayton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 72.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 95.4 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 92.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
87 Strong offer
Dayton, OH → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
52 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Dayton, OH is in Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Dayton, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Dayton, OH | Real change, Austin → Dayton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $64,021 | +6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $77,460 | +6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $92,841 | +6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $110,401 | +6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $130,461 | +6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Dayton, OH | Dayton pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $134,100 | $111,430 | $117,888 (−12.1%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $106,910 | $113,106 (−15.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $79,030 | $83,610 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $82,510 | $87,292 (−10.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.