City comparison
Dayton, OH vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 17.2% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $117,200 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, 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 San Luis Obispo, CA ($110,401 → $124,085), while prices change by +17.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dayton, OH | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,155 in San Luis Obispo | $85,357 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $1,914/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% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.6%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.2%; 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; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Dayton → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $71,957 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $87,061 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $104,349 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $124,085 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $146,632 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $97,620 | $83,325 (+3.7%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $135,020 | $115,249 (+7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $88,160 | $75,250 (−4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $138,820 | $118,492 (+43.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.