City comparison
Dayton, OH vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Richmond, VA are 5.6% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $105,600 in Richmond, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,968 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Dayton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Dayton, OH to Richmond, VA ($110,401 → $111,183), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.6% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dayton, OH | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,571 in Richmond | $94,723 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Richmond, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$2,968/yr.
52 Fair offer
Richmond, VA → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,968/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Richmond, VA | Real change, Dayton → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $64,475 | −4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $78,009 | −4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $93,499 | −4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $111,183 | −4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $131,385 | −4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $61,290 | $58,056 (−27.8%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $132,120 | $125,148 (+17.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $84,220 | $79,776 (+0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $93,580 | $88,642 (+7.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.