City comparison
Dayton, OH vs Lafayette, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dayton, OH are 6.3% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $106,300 in Dayton, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,009 a month in Dayton, OH versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Dayton, OH and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $646 a year higher in Lafayette, LA than in Dayton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.6% moving from Dayton, OH to Lafayette, LA ($110,401 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dayton, OH | Lafayette, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 87.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,083 in Lafayette | $106,289 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $898/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $41,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Lafayette, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 58.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 87.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$646/yr.
88 Strong offer
Lafayette, LA → Dayton, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$646/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Lafayette, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Lafayette, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Lafayette, LA | Real change, Dayton → Lafayette |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $61,722 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $74,678 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $89,508 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $106,437 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $125,776 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $47,770 | $50,774 (−36.8%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $109,010 | $115,866 (+8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $67,630 | $71,884 (−9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $81,960 | $87,115 (+5.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.