Cost of living in Dayton research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Dayton is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Tennessee, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Dayton is 79, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Dayton is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Dayton ranks as the #1 cheapest in Tennessee out of 109.
Dayton ranks as the #76 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Dayton is $257,709.
The median income in Dayton is $56,692.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Dayton has an overall cost of living index of 79, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Tennessee, Dayton has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Tennessee's index of 90.
The standard of living in Dayton ranks as #1 most affordable out of the 109 places we measured in Tennessee. By definition, that implies Dayton ranks as the #108 most expensive place in the Volunteer State.
For more reading on life in Dayton, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Dayton. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Dayton is 91.
The Groceries index in Dayton is 96.
The Health index in Dayton is 93.
The Housing index in Dayton is 57.
The Transportation index in Dayton is 86.
The Utilities index in Dayton is 94.
| Living Expense | Dayton | Tennessee | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 79 | 90 | 100 | |
| Services | 91 | 93 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 96 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 93 | 87 | 100 | |
| Housing | 57 | 81 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 86 | 89 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 94 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Tennessee, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Dayton is $257,709.
The Median Rent in Dayton is $807.
The Median Income in Dayton is $56,692.
The Home Value To Income in Dayton is 4.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Dayton is 0.17x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Dayton. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Spring, TX has a cost of living index of 100, 1.3x Dayton.
Soddy-Daisy, TN has a cost of living index of 90, 1.1x Dayton.
Middle Valley, TN has a cost of living index of 92, 1.2x Dayton.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Dayton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring, TX | 67,103 | 100 | 1.3x |
| Soddy-Daisy, TN | 13,117 | 90 | 1.1x |
| Middle Valley, TN | 11,808 | 92 | 1.2x |
| Collegedale, TN | 11,185 | 100 | 1.3x |
| Fort Oglethorpe, GA | 10,332 | 86 | 1.1x |
| Signal Mountain, TN | 8,861 | 120 | 1.5x |
| Harrison, TN | 8,446 | 93 | 1.2x |
| Kingston, TN | 6,042 | 89 | 1.1x |
| Fairview, GA | 5,620 | 85 | 1.1x |