Living in Dayton, OH

Explore Dayton and see how it fits the life you want to build.

136,579 Population Greene & Montgomery Counties Counties City Place Type Ohio State OrdinancesLocal Rules
Overall Match6.6 / 10

Baseline match from currently available location scores. Choose priorities to personalize it.

Dayton at a Glance

Key facts and current data

Population136,579
Median Household Income$45,247
Median Home Value$100,600
Median Gross Rent$918
Median Age34.1
Average Household Size2.1
Unemployment9.0%
Work From Home9.7%
Homeownership48.4%
Housing Vacancy16.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year.

Dayton is large enough to contain meaningfully different residential, commercial and employment areas rather than functioning as one uniform market. Home values are relatively modest compared with local household income, giving the area a comparatively favorable ownership-affordability signal. Unemployment is elevated enough that job location and industry-specific opportunities deserve closer review.

Experience the Area

Experience Life in Dayton Before You Move

Explore Short-Term Stays in Dayton →Stay options powered by Stay22 · affiliate

NarrowTheList highly recommends you spend a week or two in Dayton and experience everyday life before deciding whether it is the right place to call home. Use that time to explore neighborhoods, drive your normal routes, shop where residents shop, and get a feel for the area at different times of day.

NarrowTheList Ratings

Data-driven starter ratings. More categories appear automatically as new datasets are added.

Housing Value4.8 / 5Home values compared with local household income.
Employment2.5 / 5Lower unemployment produces a stronger rating.
Housing Stability2.5 / 5Combines homeownership and housing vacancy.
Remote Work Friendly3.1 / 5Based on the share of residents working from home.
Income Strength3.5 / 5Household income compared on a national scale.

These are location-wide baseline ratings, not your personal match score. Your own priorities can change which factors matter most.

Housing & Cost of Living in Dayton

Current housing indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau

Median Home Value$100,600
Median Gross Rent$918
Homeownership48.4%
Housing Vacancy16.9%
Housing Value9.6/10
Housing Stability5.0/10

Home values are comparatively balanced against local household income, although individual neighborhoods can still vary substantially. Renters make up a substantial share of the local housing market.

Jobs, Income & Remote Work

Employment and household-income context for Dayton, OH

Median Household Income$45,247
Unemployment9.0%
Work From Home9.7%
Employment5.0/10
Remote Work Friendly6.2/10
Income Strength7.0/10

The reported unemployment rate is elevated enough to warrant a closer look at current local employment conditions. A meaningful share of employed residents work from home.

Population & Household Profile

Who lives in Dayton and how households are structured

Population136,579
Median Age34.1
Average Household Size2.1

Dayton is a mid-sized community where neighborhood and nearby-employment patterns can materially affect a relocation decision.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year. NarrowTheList presents these values as relocation context; conditions can vary within a community.

Climate & Weather in Dayton

Long-term NOAA climate normals and practical seasonal context

NOAA climate normals for Dayton point to hot summers, winters with regular freezing conditions, a wetter annual rainfall pattern and a meaningful winter snowfall season.

Average Summer High86.7°F
Average Winter Low20.1°F
Annual Rainfall41.7 in.
Annual Snowfall12.3 in.

Seasonal Life in Dayton

What the long-term climate pattern may mean for everyday living.

Spring

Spring is a good time to see how wetter conditions affect drainage, yards, commuting and the usability of outdoor spaces.

Summer

Summer is warm enough that shade and cooling still matter, but the typical high is below the extreme-heat range seen in many hotter U.S. markets.

Fall

Fall marks a substantial seasonal transition here. It is a useful time to judge how quickly temperatures change and whether that seasonal swing fits the lifestyle you want.

Winter

Freezing winter lows and meaningful snowfall make snow removal, winter driving, heating costs and cold-weather routines important parts of evaluating the area.

Source: NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Seasonal descriptions are relocation context derived from the available long-term normals, not a forecast.

County Intelligence

Dayton & Its Counties

Medium Foreclosure Activity

Dayton spans Greene and Montgomery counties.

Living in a community that crosses county lines can make location within Dayton especially important. Property taxes, housing characteristics, public services and other county-level factors may vary depending on which part of the community you call home.

Current NarrowTheList data for Dayton shows a population of about 136,579. These local figures become more useful when read together with county-level tax, housing, foreclosure and demographic conditions rather than treated as isolated city statistics.

Foreclosure Activity: Medium. Current signal uses NarrowTheList foreclosure-opportunity data until direct county delinquency and foreclosure datasets are connected.

For someone comparing homes, county boundaries can matter because taxes, public services, court and recording systems, assessment practices and housing-market conditions are often administered or reported at the county level. NarrowTheList keeps that county relationship attached to the community so future tax, foreclosure, housing and demographic data can be interpreted in the correct geographic context.

County relationship Greene County and Montgomery County
How NarrowTheList uses it

NarrowTheList connects Dayton with all 2 of its counties rather than assigning the community to only one. As additional county data becomes available, those differences can be compared alongside city-level information to help identify which parts of the area may better fit your priorities.

For someone considering a move to Dayton, the available data currently points to comparatively attainable ownership costs relative to local income and employment conditions that make job-specific research important. These signals are most useful when considered alongside the specific neighborhood, commute and housing type that fit the household making the move.

Nearby Cities & Communities

Nearby incorporated cities, towns, villages and other municipalities shown by straight-line distance.

Riverside, OH 4.0 miles away Oakwood, OH 4.7 miles away Moraine, OH 6.4 miles away Trotwood, OH 6.5 miles away Vandalia, OH 6.5 miles away Kettering, OH 6.7 miles away Huber Heights, OH 6.9 miles away Englewood, OH 8.0 miles away Beavercreek, OH 8.2 miles away West Carrollton, OH 8.5 miles away Clayton, OH 8.9 miles away