City comparison
Dayton, OH vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 8.1% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $108,100 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Dayton, OH than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.7% moving from Dayton, OH to Port St. Lucie, FL ($110,401 → $113,356), while prices change by +8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dayton, OH | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,128 in Port St. Lucie | $92,483 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
45 Fair offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Dayton → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $65,735 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $79,533 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $95,326 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $113,356 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $133,953 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $53,610 | $49,580 (−38.3%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $128,510 | $118,850 (+11.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $79,430 | $73,459 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $82,090 | $75,919 (−8.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.