Is Dayton cheaper than Toledo?

They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Dayton and Toledo metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.

Which has higher household income, Dayton or Toledo?

Dayton has the higher median household income — $72,711 versus $66,095 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 10% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Dayton or Toledo?

A paycheck stretches further in Dayton. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $78,442 there versus $72,271 in Toledo.

Which has cheaper rent, Dayton or Toledo?

Toledo has cheaper rent — a median of $949/mo versus $1,119/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Dayton vs Toledo

Metro-area medians — Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH Metro Area vs Toledo, OH Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Dayton and Toledo are evenly matched, each taking 4 of the clearly-decided measures.

Dayton and Toledo cost about the same to live in, but Dayton households earn about 10% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Dayton.

Their widest everyday difference: Dayton is more educated — 34.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree versus 31.6%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Dayton, OH

$59,967

take-home / yr · 20% to tax

$64,694

real value after local prices

Toledo, OH

$59,967

take-home / yr · 20% to tax

$65,570

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Toledo leaves you about $876/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Dayton

Toledo

Livability (CityLedger)

49/100

44/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

92.7

91.5

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$78,442

$72,271

Median household income

$72,711

$66,095

Median rent

$1,119/mo

$949/mo

Median home value

$228,600

$194,700

Unemployment

4.9%

4.6%

Bachelor's degree or higher

34.6%

31.6%

Average commute

22.3 min

20.9 min

Air quality (median AQI)

—

Avg temperature

54°F

52°F

Choose Dayton for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
+ Median household income
+ Bachelor's degree or higher

Full Dayton profile →

Choose Toledo for

+ Median rent
+ Median home value
+ Unemployment
+ Average commute

Full Toledo profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Dayton and Toledo on cost, income, size, and education.

Dayton vs Akron→Dayton vs Greensboro→Dayton vs Winston-Salem→Toledo vs Wichita→Toledo vs Springfield→Toledo vs Fort Wayne→

Dayton vs Toledo — frequently asked

Is Dayton cheaper than Toledo?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Dayton and Toledo metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Dayton or Toledo?: Dayton has the higher median household income — $72,711 versus $66,095 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 10% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Dayton or Toledo?: A paycheck stretches further in Dayton. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $78,442 there versus $72,271 in Toledo.
Which has cheaper rent, Dayton or Toledo?: Toledo has cheaper rent — a median of $949/mo versus $1,119/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).