City comparison
Dayton, OH vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 19.1% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $119,100 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in San Jose, 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 Jose, CA ($110,401 → $133,060), while prices change by +19.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.2% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (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 Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,126 in San Jose | $83,944 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $2,982/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 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.1%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | San Jose, CA | Real change, Dayton → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $77,161 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $93,358 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $111,896 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $133,060 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $157,236 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $111,430 | $176,120 | $147,843 (+32.7%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $213,110 | $178,894 (+67.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $121,700 | $102,160 (+29.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $216,740 | $181,941 (+120.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.