Dayton vs Detroit
The short version
- Dayton is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 8% lower than in the Detroit area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $83,900 in Detroit and $100,600 in Dayton.
- Households earn more in Dayton ($45,247 vs $39,938 median).
- Dayton has the warmer winter: January highs of 37°F vs 32°F.
- Detroit gets far more snow: 45 inches a year vs 25.
- Detroit is growing faster: +1.5% since 2020 vs -0.7%.
- Commutes are shorter in Dayton (20 vs 25 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Dayton, OH | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 136,688 | 649,095 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.7% | +1.5% |
| People per square mile | 2,449 | 4,679 |
| Median age | 34.1 | 35.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22% | 18% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $45,247 | $39,938 |
| Median home value | $100,600 | $83,900 |
| Home value to income | 2.2× | 2.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $918 | $1,074 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 92.7 | 100.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 72.7 | 94.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,500 | $75,200 |
| Homeowners | 48% | 50% |
| Top state income tax | 2.75% | 4.25% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.29% | 6% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 20.3 | 24.8 |
| Work from home | 10% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 5% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 9% | 14% |
| Poverty rate | 26.9% | 32.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 37° / 22° | 32° / 19° |
| July high / low | 86° / 66° | 84° / 64° |
| Precipitation per year | 41 in | 34 in |
| Snowfall per year | 25 in | 45 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 16 | 13 |
| Nights below freezing | 110 | 120 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 92.7 | 99.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | 36% |
| Home prices, past year | +5.3% | +5.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +49.7% | +43.9% |
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: Dayton: April and June to October. Detroit: May to October.
Full monthly tables: Dayton weather by month and Detroit weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $69,500 in Dayton and $75,200 in Detroit. Moving from Dayton to Detroit, you would need about $81,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Dayton and Detroit
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Dayton and Detroit.
Which would you pick?
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