Is Dayton cheaper than Winston-Salem?

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

Which has higher household income, Dayton or Winston-Salem?

Dayton has the higher median household income — $72,711 versus $65,903 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 10% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Dayton or Winston-Salem?

A paycheck stretches further in Dayton. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $78,442 there versus $71,600 in Winston-Salem.

Which has cheaper rent, Dayton or Winston-Salem?

Rents are close — $1,119/mo in the Dayton metro versus $1,102/mo in Winston-Salem (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Dayton vs Winston-Salem

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

Dayton comes out ahead, winning 6 of the 7 clearly-decided measures.

Dayton and Winston-Salem 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.

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

Winston-Salem, NC

$58,668

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$63,740

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Dayton leaves you about $954/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

Winston-Salem

Livability (CityLedger)

49/100

46/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

92.7

92.0

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$78,442

$71,600

Median household income

$72,711

$65,903

Median rent

$1,119/mo

$1,102/mo

Median home value

$228,600

$270,700

Unemployment

4.9%

3.4%

Bachelor's degree or higher

34.6%

33.4%

Average commute

22.3 min

23.8 min

Air quality (median AQI)

—

Avg temperature

54°F

60°F

Choose Dayton for

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

Full Dayton profile →

Choose Winston-Salem for

+ Unemployment

Full Winston-Salem profile →

Dayton vs Winston-Salem — frequently asked

Is Dayton cheaper than Winston-Salem?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Dayton and Winston-Salem metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Dayton or Winston-Salem?: Dayton has the higher median household income — $72,711 versus $65,903 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 10% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Dayton or Winston-Salem?: A paycheck stretches further in Dayton. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $78,442 there versus $71,600 in Winston-Salem.
Which has cheaper rent, Dayton or Winston-Salem?: Rents are close — $1,119/mo in the Dayton metro versus $1,102/mo in Winston-Salem (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).