City comparison
Dayton, OH vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 24.7% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $124,700 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Dayton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +20.5% moving from Dayton, OH to San Francisco, CA ($110,401 → $133,060), while prices change by +24.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.4% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dayton, OH | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,725 in San Francisco | $80,176 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.8%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Dayton → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $77,161 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $93,358 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $111,896 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $133,060 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $157,236 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $101,860 | $81,667 (+1.6%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $186,640 | $149,641 (+40.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $110,730 | $88,779 (+12.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $186,610 | $149,617 (+81.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.