City comparison
Dayton, OH vs Durham, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Durham, NC are 5.3% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $105,300 in Durham, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,514 a year higher in Durham, NC than in Dayton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Dayton, OH to Durham, NC ($110,401 → $111,147), while prices change by +5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.4% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dayton, OH | Durham, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 97.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,262 in Durham | $95,001 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $60,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Durham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 98.9 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 97.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Durham, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,514/yr.
53 Fair offer
Durham, NC → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,514/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Durham, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Durham, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Durham, NC | Real change, Dayton → Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $64,453 | −4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $77,983 | −4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $93,468 | −4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $111,147 | −4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $131,342 | −4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Durham, NC | Durham pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $51,400 | $48,830 (−39.2%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $135,620 | $128,840 (+20.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $85,090 | $80,836 (+2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | not published | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.