City comparison
Dayton, OH vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dayton, OH are 5.2% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $105,200 in Dayton, OH to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,009 a month in Dayton, OH versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Dayton, OH and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,767 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Dayton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.6% moving from Dayton, OH to Mobile, AL ($110,401 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.4% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dayton, OH | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,042 in Mobile | $105,217 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,767/yr.
85 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Dayton, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,767/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Mobile, AL | Real change, Dayton → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $61,722 | +1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $74,678 | +1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $89,508 | +1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $106,437 | +1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $125,776 | +1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $60,970 | $64,151 (−20.2%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $122,540 | $128,933 (+20.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $72,130 | $75,893 (−4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $79,490 | $83,637 (+1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.