City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Dayton, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dayton, OH are 1.1% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $101,100 in Dayton, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL versus $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,767 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Dayton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.7% moving from Birmingham, AL to Dayton, OH ($107,510 → $110,401), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.5% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Dayton, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 92.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,146 in Dayton | $98,867 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,009/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $49,980 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Dayton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 72.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 95.4 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 92.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Dayton, OH
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,767/yr.
65 Fair offer
Dayton, OH → Birmingham, AL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$2,767/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Dayton, OH is in Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Dayton, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Dayton, OH | Real change, Birmingham → Dayton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $64,021 | +1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $77,460 | +1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $92,841 | +1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $110,401 | +1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $130,461 | +1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Dayton, OH | Dayton pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $80,360 | $79,450 (+26.9%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $106,910 | $105,699 (−15.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $79,030 | $78,135 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $82,510 | $81,575 (+3.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.