City comparison
Dayton, OH vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 22.5% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $122,500 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Dayton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Dayton, OH to Los Angeles, CA ($110,401 → $124,085), while prices change by +22.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dayton, OH | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $122,517 in Los Angeles | $81,621 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $2,085/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% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.4%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
24 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Dayton → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $71,957 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $87,061 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $104,349 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $124,085 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $146,632 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $101,860 | $83,139 (+3.5%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $160,920 | $131,345 (+22.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $94,360 | $77,018 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $135,560 | $110,646 (+34.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.