City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Dayton, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dayton, OH are 7.8% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $107,800 in Dayton, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,009 a month in Dayton, OH versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Dayton, OH and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Dayton, OH than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.7% moving from Brownsville, TX to Dayton, OH ($106,437 → $110,401), while prices change by +7.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.8% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Brownsville, TX | Dayton, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 92.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,815 in Dayton | $92,751 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/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 | 13% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $49,980 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Dayton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 72.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 95.4 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 92.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Dayton, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
46 Fair offer
Dayton, OH → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Dayton, OH is in Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Dayton, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Dayton, OH | Real change, Brownsville → Dayton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,021 | −3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,460 | −3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $92,841 | −3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $110,401 | −3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $130,461 | −3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Dayton, OH | Dayton pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $80,360 | $74,535 (+17.7%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $106,910 | $99,161 (−7.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $79,030 | $73,301 (+10.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $82,510 | $76,529 (−5.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.