Carmel vs Dayton
The short version
- Dayton is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Carmel area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $100,600 in Dayton and $486,800 in Carmel.
- Households earn more in Carmel ($141,505 vs $45,247 median).
- Carmel is growing faster: +5.9% since 2020 vs -0.7%.
- Commutes are shorter in Dayton (20 vs 25 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Carmel, IN | Dayton, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 105,634 | 136,688 |
| Growth since 2020 | +5.9% | -0.7% |
| People per square mile | 2,152 | 2,449 |
| Median age | 40.6 | 34.1 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 74% | 22% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $141,505 | $45,247 |
| Median home value | $486,800 | $100,600 |
| Home value to income | 3.4× | 2.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,712 | $918 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 95.7 | 92.7 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 88.9 | 72.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $71,800 | $69,500 |
| Homeowners | 74% | 48% |
| Top state income tax | 2.95% | 2.75% |
| Combined sales tax | 7% | 7.29% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.6 | 20.3 |
| Work from home | 27% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 3% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 2.7% | 9% |
| Poverty rate | 3.9% | 26.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 36° / 20° | 37° / 22° |
| July high / low | 85° / 65° | 86° / 66° |
| Precipitation per year | 47 in | 41 in |
| Snowfall per year | 27 in | 25 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 19 | 16 |
| Nights below freezing | 113 | 110 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 88.8 | 92.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 38% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +3.5% | +5.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +43.8% | +49.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Carmel: August to October. Dayton: April and June to October.
Full monthly tables: Carmel weather by month and Dayton weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $71,800 in Carmel and $69,500 in Dayton. Moving from Carmel to Dayton, you would need about $72,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Carmel and Dayton
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Carmel and Dayton.
Which would you pick?
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