City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Dayton, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 11.2% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $111,200 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, 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 Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.6% moving from Dallas, TX to Dayton, OH ($115,711 → $110,401), while prices change by −10.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.1% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Dallas, TX | Dayton, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 92.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,916 in Dayton | $111,215 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/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 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $49,980 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Dayton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 72.7 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 95.4 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 92.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
100 Strong offer
Dayton, OH → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Dayton, OH is in Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Dayton, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Dayton, OH | Real change, Dallas → Dayton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $64,021 | +6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $77,460 | +6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $92,841 | +6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $110,401 | +6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $130,461 | +6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Dayton, OH | Dayton pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $80,360 | $89,373 (+37.3%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $106,910 | $118,900 (−10.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $79,030 | $87,894 (+6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $82,510 | $91,764 (−9.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.