City comparison
Dayton, OH vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 11.5% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $111,500 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $324 a year higher in Phoenix, AZ than in Dayton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.8% moving from Dayton, OH to Phoenix, AZ ($110,401 → $111,338), while prices change by +11.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.5% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dayton, OH | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,459 in Phoenix | $89,719 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$324/yr.
38 Weak offer
Phoenix, AZ → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$324/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Dayton → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $64,564 | −9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $78,117 | −9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $93,629 | −9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $111,338 | −9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $131,568 | −9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $59,180 | $53,096 (−33.9%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $131,750 | $118,205 (+10.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $80,820 | $72,511 (−8.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $100,830 | $90,464 (+9.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.