City comparison
Dayton, OH vs Des Moines, IA
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 Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $101,100 in Dayton, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,109 a month in Des Moines, IA versus $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Des Moines, IA and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,181 a year higher in Des Moines, IA than in Dayton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.8% moving from Dayton, OH to Des Moines, IA ($110,401 → $107,301), while prices change by −1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dayton, OH | Des Moines, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 91.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,929 in Des Moines | $101,083 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $1,109/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $51,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 84.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 84.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 92.9 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 91.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Des Moines, IA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,181/yr.
72 Strong offer
Des Moines, IA → Dayton, OH
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,181/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Des Moines, IA is in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Des Moines, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Des Moines, IA | Real change, Dayton → Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $62,223 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $75,284 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $90,234 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $107,301 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $126,797 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Des Moines, IA | Des Moines pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $61,650 | $62,318 (−22.5%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $126,460 | $127,829 (+19.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $79,290 | $80,149 (+1.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $78,630 | $79,481 (−3.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.