City comparison
Dayton, OH vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 9.0% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $109,000 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Dayton, OH than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.2% moving from Dayton, OH to Reno, NV ($110,401 → $106,855), while prices change by +9.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.2% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dayton, OH | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,976 in Reno | $91,764 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
43 Weak offer
Reno, NV → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Reno, NV | Real change, Dayton → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $61,965 | −11.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $74,972 | −11.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $89,859 | −11.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $106,855 | −11.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $126,271 | −11.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $62,430 | $57,288 (−28.7%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $125,710 | $115,356 (+7.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $82,370 | $75,586 (−4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $107,520 | $98,664 (+19.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.