City comparison
Dayton, OH vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 3.9% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $103,900 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Dayton, OH than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.6% moving from Dayton, OH to Nashville, TN ($110,401 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.2% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dayton, OH | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,931 in Nashville | $96,217 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
57 Fair offer
Nashville, TN → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Nashville, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Nashville, TN | Real change, Dayton → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $61,722 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $74,678 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $89,508 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $106,437 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $125,776 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $61,460 | $59,135 (−26.4%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $126,610 | $121,821 (+13.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $78,080 | $75,127 (−4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $84,040 | $80,861 (−2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.