Dayton vs Indianapolis
The short version
- Dayton is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Indianapolis area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $100,600 in Dayton and $224,800 in Indianapolis.
- Households earn more in Indianapolis ($66,219 vs $45,247 median).
- Indianapolis 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 | Indianapolis, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 136,688 | 901,116 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.7% | +1.5% |
| People per square mile | 2,449 | 2,496 |
| Median age | 34.1 | 34.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22% | 35% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $45,247 | $66,219 |
| Median home value | $100,600 | $224,800 |
| Home value to income | 2.2× | 3.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $918 | $1,156 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 92.7 | 95.7 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 72.7 | 88.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,500 | $71,800 |
| Homeowners | 48% | 56% |
| Top state income tax | 2.75% | 2.95% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.29% | 7% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 20.3 | 24.6 |
| Work from home | 10% | 14% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 9% | 5.1% |
| Poverty rate | 26.9% | 15.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 37° / 22° | 36° / 21° |
| July high / low | 86° / 66° | 85° / 66° |
| Precipitation per year | 41 in | 44 in |
| Snowfall per year | 25 in | 26 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 16 | 20 |
| Nights below freezing | 110 | 105 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 92.7 | 97.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | 38% |
| Home prices, past year | +5.3% | +3.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +49.7% | +43.8% |
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. Indianapolis: April and July to October.
Full monthly tables: Dayton weather by month and Indianapolis 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 $71,800 in Indianapolis. Moving from Dayton to Indianapolis, you would need about $77,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Dayton and Indianapolis
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 Indianapolis.
Which would you pick?
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