Overall
92.7
Below avg
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH
Cost-of-living indicators for Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 92.7
- Overall RPP
- #222
- of 387 metros
- 72.7
- Rents RPP
- $108K
- $100K national buys
Dayton ranks #222 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has fallen 3.3 points since 2008.
- falling since 2008
- similar cost to Champaign-Urbana
The verdict
Dayton costs less than 57% of U.S. metros, an overall index of 92.7, 7.3% below the national average, with rents the biggest swing at 72.7.
- bottom 43%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 93.6
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 95.4
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $107,882 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $92,694.
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$92,694
in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$46,347
$75,000 nationally
$69,521
$125,000 nationally
$115,868
$150,000 nationally
$139,041
$200,000 nationally
$185,388
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
C
63/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability C
63rd percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has been trending downward, decreasing by 3.3 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2009, when the index dropped 1.4 points from the year before.
Dayton overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 96.0 |
| 2009 | 94.6 |
| 2010 | 94.2 |
| 2011 | 93.1 |
| 2012 | 93.1 |
| 2013 | 93.6 |
| 2014 | 93.5 |
| 2015 | 92.6 |
| 2016 | 92.7 |
| 2017 | 91.9 |
| 2018 | 92.8 |
| 2019 | 92.5 |
| 2020 | 91.8 |
| 2021 | 92.3 |
| 2022 | 91.5 |
| 2023 | 92.4 |
| 2024 | 92.7 |
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Dayton's overall RPP rose +0.3 points, from 92.4 in 2023 to 92.7 in 2024. The largest category movement was services, changing from 89.1 to 95.4. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
Housing-led affordability profile
How Dayton's cost structure works
Housing is the strongest affordability offset in Dayton: rents index at 72.7, the component furthest below the national benchmark. That does not make every local expense low, but it is the clearest explanation for the metro's overall RPP of 92.7.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Niles, MI, Flint, MI, Monroe, MI. They resemble Dayton across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, Dayton's overall index has fallen by 3.3 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
Dayton vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
93 Bottom 43% higher than 43% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Dayton cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
72.7 RPP
- Services
Services
95.4 RPP
- Overall
Overall
92.7 RPP
- Goods
Goods
93.6 RPP
What this shows Dayton's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 72.7 depart furthest from 100, while goods sits at 93.6. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.
Goods vs. housing, where Dayton's cost comes from
Metros near Dayton's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Crosshairs sit at the group median (goods 93.8, rents 73.8). Dayton is more affordable than similar-cost metros across the board. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Read the chart as text
- Dayton (Dayton, this metro): goods RPP 93.6, rents RPP 72.7
- Champaign: goods RPP 93.6, rents RPP 71.6
- Yuma: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 73.8
- Blacksburg: goods RPP 96.8, rents RPP 74.4
- Utica: goods RPP 99.7, rents RPP 66.1
- Corpus Christi: goods RPP 93.8, rents RPP 84.9
- Slidell: goods RPP 93.7, rents RPP 85.4
Price Index Summary
Goods
93.6
Below avg
Services
95.4
Below avg
Rents
72.7
Cheap
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH's index of 92.7.
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Dayton's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Niles, MI
Goods 93.7 · Services 96.0 · Rents 71.6 Flint, MI
Goods 93.7 · Services 97.1 · Rents 74.0 Monroe, MI
Goods 93.7 · Services 93.7 · Rents 74.6 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI
Goods 93.7 · Services 92.8 · Rents 74.2 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV
Goods 96.4 · Services 95.7 · Rents 75.7 Akron, OH
Goods 93.6 · Services 96.4 · Rents 76.8
OH-relative analysis
Goods prices places Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH near the bottom of OH's metros
Among the 12 OH metros PlainCost tracks with reported goods prices data, Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH ranks #2 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#2 of 12
0th percentile in OH
Services prices
#11 of 12
8th percentile in OH
Rent prices
#5 of 12
58th percentile in OH
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within OH only, not a livability score.
Other OH Metros
Columbus, OH 95.5 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 95.4 Cleveland, OH 93.9 Akron, OH 93.4 Toledo, OH 91.5 Springfield, OH 90.5
View all OH metros → Cheapest in OH → Most expensive in OH →
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
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Compare to Other Metros
What this means for Dayton
How to read Dayton's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $107,882 in Dayton. Salary calculator
- Start with rents: it indexes at 72.7, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare Dayton head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH?
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 92.7, meaning it is 7.3% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 93.6, services at 95.4, and rents at 72.7. It ranks #222 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $92,694 in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH. Conversely, $100K earned in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH has the purchasing power of $107,882 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH?
Rents in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH are indexed at 72.7, which is 27.3% below the national average. This makes the area relatively affordable for renters.
Is Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH's overall cost index changed by -3.3 points (from 96.0 to 92.7). The cost of living has been declining.
What costs the most in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH?
The priciest category in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH is services at 95.4, 4.6% below the national average, still the highest of the three categories. The most affordable category is rents at 72.7, 27.3% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Champaign-Urbana, Yuma, Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH's 92.7.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.