City comparison
Dayton, OH vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 2.2% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $102,200 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Dayton, OH than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Dayton, OH to San Antonio, TX ($110,401 → $108,001), while prices change by +2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.3% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dayton, OH | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,181 in San Antonio | $97,865 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
62 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Dayton → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $62,629 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $75,776 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $90,823 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $108,001 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $127,624 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $61,720 | $60,402 (−24.8%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $128,430 | $125,688 (+17.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $78,650 | $76,971 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $94,370 | $92,355 (+11.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.