Dayton vs Lexington
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $100,600 in Dayton and $293,500 in Lexington.
- Households earn more in Lexington ($69,479 vs $45,247 median).
- Lexington has the warmer winter: January highs of 42°F vs 37°F.
- Dayton gets far more snow: 25 inches a year vs 15.
- Lexington is growing faster: +2.2% since 2020 vs -0.7%.
Side by side
| Dayton, OH | Lexington, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 136,688 | 329,751 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.7% | +2.2% |
| People per square mile | 2,449 | 1,162 |
| Median age | 34.1 | 35.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22% | 48% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $45,247 | $69,479 |
| Median home value | $100,600 | $293,500 |
| Home value to income | 2.2× | 4.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $918 | $1,164 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 92.7 | 92.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 72.7 | 77.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,500 | $69,700 |
| Homeowners | 48% | 54% |
| Top state income tax | 2.75% | 3.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.29% | 6% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 20.3 | 20.9 |
| Work from home | 10% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 9% | 4.9% |
| Poverty rate | 26.9% | 14.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 37° / 22° | 42° / 25° |
| July high / low | 86° / 66° | 87° / 67° |
| Precipitation per year | 41 in | 50 in |
| Snowfall per year | 25 in | 15 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 16 | 25 |
| Nights below freezing | 110 | 90 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 92.7 | 92.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | 73% |
| Home prices, past year | +5.3% | +6.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +49.7% | +52.5% |
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. Lexington: April and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Dayton weather by month and Lexington 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 $69,700 in Lexington. Moving from Dayton to Lexington, you would need about $75,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Dayton and Lexington
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 Lexington.
Which would you pick?
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