Dayton, Ohio population is 136,688 as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate), ranking #214 nationally and #6 in Ohio. Cost of living runs 7.3% below the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); a family of four needs roughly $89,181/yr to break even (2025 modeled). This profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
At a glance.
2025 population
136,688
+464 in the last year
Top 2% of 19,483 U.S. cities
Census Vintage 2025
Cost of living
RPP 92.7
−7.3% vs US
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH metro · BEA 2024
Family-of-4 budget
$89,181/yr
+11% vs US
Modeled 2025 · federal sources
Median HH income
$45,247
−42% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
Median home value
$100,600
−67% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
2-BR fair-market rent
$1,273/mo
HUD FY2026 · 40th pct
Avg July high
86°F
NOAA 1991–2020
Gigabit broadband
54%
ISP-reported, FCC BDC
Explore Dayton, OH demographics, including age, race and ethnicity, households, origins, language, and education.
How many people live in Dayton?
136,688 people live in Dayton as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025), the #214 largest U.S. city.
How big is Dayton?
Dayton covers 55.8 square miles of land and 1.2 square miles of water. Its population density is about 2,450 residents per square mile of land. Compare U.S. cities by land area →
Source detail: 2025 population
2025 population
Source agency
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Dataset
Census PEP
Vintage / period
Vintage 2025 (Jul 1, 2025)
Native geography
Census PEP subcounty place records for the included city universe.
Transformation
Copied from POPESTIMATE2025, joined by Census GEOID, and used for ranks, filters, and city pages.
Known limit: Annual estimate, not a decennial count; each new PEP vintage can revise the prior series.
Population shrank 0.7% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
Recent history (V2025 series, 2020 base → 2025).
2020 base: 137,604 → 2025: 136,688 (-0.7%)
Year
Population
Reference date
2020 base
137,604
April 1, 2020
2020
137,407
July 1, 2020
2021
136,785
July 1, 2021
2022
135,977
July 1, 2022
2023
135,989
July 1, 2023
2024
136,224
July 1, 2024
2025
136,688
July 1, 2025
Earlier history (2010–2019, prior Census vintage)
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population shrank 1.4% from the July 2010 estimate to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
Dayton is the #214 largest of 19,483 U.S. cities and #6 in Ohio.
▸Show the analyst detail (9 rows)
Measure
Value
Note
2020 base
137,604
April 1, 2020 census base
5-yr change
-916
2020 base → 2025; within V2025
5-yr change %
-0.7%
within V2025 only
1-yr change
+464
2024 → 2025 estimate
1-yr change %
+0.3%
within V2025 only
Density
2,450
people per sq mi, land only
Land area
55.8
sq mi (2025 Gazetteer)
U.S. rank by population
#214
of 19,483 cities
State rank by population
#6
of 924 in Ohio
What is the median household income in Dayton?
Median household income is 42% below the U.S. median ($45,247 vs $77,719); 26.9% live in poverty — 14.4 points above the 12.5% U.S. rate.
Median household income$45,247
US
Dayton: $45,247 — 42% below the US median of $77,719.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS income data
Dayton
$45,247
United States
$77,719
Income and poverty estimates for Dayton from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median household income
45,247-41.8% vs US
±1,703
Per capita income
27,444-36.6% vs US
±1,091
Population in poverty
26.9%
share of population for whom poverty status is determined
Median home value is 67% below the U.S. median ($100,600 vs $303,400); median rent is 32% below ($918 vs $1,348); price-to-income ratio is 2.2×, making it 1.8× as affordable as the typical U.S. city (3.9×).
Median home value$100,600
US
Dayton: $100,600 — 67% below the US median of $303,400.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS home-value data
HUD 2-BR fair-market rent$1,273/mo
US
Dayton: $1,273/mo — 18% above the US median of $1,077/mo.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with a HUD Fair Market Rent
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2024 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for Dayton. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
Measure
Value
Grain
Unemployment rate (annual avg)
5.4%
Dayton (BLS sub-state LAUS)
Civilian labor force
58,995
2024 annual avg
Worked from home
9.7%-30.6% vs US
share of workers 16+ commuting from home · U.S. median: 14% · ACS
County context — Dayton spans 2 counties; all are listed (no weighted average):
County
Poverty rate
Median HH income
Unemployment
Greene County
9.9%
$87,684
4.0%
Montgomery County
14.4%
$66,349
4.5%
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from Dayton's linked 2 counties in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2024 annual averages). See methodology §11.
#
Industry (NAICS supersector)
Private employment
Avg weekly wage
#1
Health care and social assistance (62)
60,178
$1,231 / wk
#2
Retail trade (44-45)
33,376
$703 / wk
#3
Manufacturing (31-33)
30,951
$1,321 / wk
#4
Accommodation and food services (72)
30,652
$442 / wk
#5
Professional and technical services (54)
25,929
$2,026 / wk
What workers earn in the Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). See methodology §25.
Fast Food and Counter Workers is the largest tracked occupation in the Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH metro (11,860 jobs, median $27,680/yr).
▸Show all 13 occupations
Occupation
Employment
Median annual
Median hourly
Fast Food and Counter Workers
11,860
$27,680
$13.31
Stockers and Order Fillers
8,770
$36,750
$17.67
Cashiers
7,300
$28,750
$13.82
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
7,070
$34,980
$16.82
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
6,510
$40,280
$19.36
Office Clerks, General
5,980
$42,840
$20.60
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
5,770
$39,940
$19.20
Registered Nurses · benchmark
11,640
$82,510
$39.67
General and Operations Managers · benchmark
10,180
$98,030
$47.13
Retail Salespersons · benchmark
9,170
$30,360
$14.59
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark
4,660
$59,490
$28.60
Software Developers · benchmark
3,910
$106,910
$51.40
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark
All items run 7.3% below the U.S. average (RPP 92.7); rents run 27.3% below (RPP 72.7) — the metro's housing affordability is the main driver.
Cost of living (RPP, all items)RPP 92.7
US
Dayton's cost of living runs 7.3% below the U.S. average (RPP 92.7 vs 100).
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of metro/non-metro areas with a BEA price parity
BEA Regional Price Parity (all items)
RPP 92.7
−7.3% vs U.S. average · BEA 2024 · Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH metro
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR
$1,273/mo
FY2026 · Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA
State income tax (top marginal rate)
3.50%
3 brackets · TY2025
Family-of-four monthly budget total
$7,432/mo
3BR rent + food + childcare + taxes + transport · federal sources
Single-adult monthly budget total
$3,851/mo
1BR rent + food + taxes + transport · federal sources
Local income tax
—
not applicable in Ohio · no modeled local income tax
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
5.3% foreign-born (U.S. median 14%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (4.2% of residents 5+).
A quick read on Dayton's residents — nativity and languages spoken at home shown above, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. The full demographic breakdown (age, race and ethnicity, household types, and educational attainment, each with its margin of error) lives on the demographics page.
These are K-12 public school districts. Higher education (colleges and universities) is not represented in this dataset.
8 districts serve Dayton, from the NCES EDGE Geographic Relationship Files (GRF25, 2024–25 school year boundaries). The join is many-to-many — large cities often span multiple districts. Expand the list below to see every district sorted primary first. See methodology §12.
Source: NCES EDGE GRF25 · school year 2024–25 · methodology →
What is the climate like in Dayton?
Hottest month: July (86°F avg high). Coldest: January (22°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 41.2 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for Dayton from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
bar = avg daily high → avg daily lowprecip in inches below each barprecip in millimeters below each bar
Composite risk spans 75.7–92.7/100 across 2 counties; most-cited top hazard is Cold Wave (in 1 of 2).
Natural-hazard exposure for Dayton from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
Dayton spans 2 counties. We list each separately because hurricane, flood, and fire risk varies meaningfully across county lines — manufacturing a single “city-level” risk score would hide that signal.
County
NRI composite
Rating
Top hazards
Greene County
75.7
Relatively Low
Cold Wave 91.9 Relatively High · Ice Storm 86.3 Relatively High · Strong Wind 83.7 Relatively Moderate
Montgomery County
92.7
Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind 97.5 Relatively High · Ice Storm 96.3 Very High · Hail 95.7 Relatively High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0 · methodology →
How fast is home internet in Dayton?
12 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 54% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for Dayton from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of June 30, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
Measure
Value
Note
Providers serving this city
12 + satellite
distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only
Fiber providers
10
offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC
Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed
100.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload
53.7%
derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition
Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed
53.7%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Total broadband-serviceable units
77,764
residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households)
Source: FCC BDC · as of June 30, 2025 · methodology →
In-state context.
Dayton sits at state rank #6 among 924 cities in Ohio. Nearby in the state ranking:
Just above in the profiled set: Warren, MI · #213 · 137,138 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: Fargo, ND · #215 · 136,275 residents.
Quick travel facts for Dayton
Quick travel facts.
Nearest commercial airport
James M. Cox Dayton International Airport(DAY) · 8 mi 13 km from city centroid
Best months to visit
Sep, Oct · months when the avg high sits in 65–80°F and precipitation is at or below the city's median monthly precip
Sources: elevation from USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP) · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (FAA-aligned, type=large/medium, scheduled_service=yes) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Frequently asked questions about Dayton.
How many people live in Dayton, OH?
Dayton has 136,688 residents as of July 1, 2025, making it the #214 largest city in the United States and #6 in Ohio. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
Is Dayton growing or shrinking?
Dayton has shrunk 0.7% since the April 2020 census baseline, losing 916 residents. The most recent year ticked up slightly (+464 residents, +0.3% from 2024 to 2025). Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
Dayton spans Greene County, Montgomery County in Ohio.
How big is Dayton?
Dayton covers 55.8 square miles of land, with a population density of about 2,450 residents per square mile. Source: Census Gazetteer 2025.
What is the median household income in Dayton?
$45,247, about 42% below the U.S. median. Source: ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
SourceU.S. Census · PEP
VintageV2025
Reference2025-07-01
Place typeIncorporated place
GEOID3921000
Last build2026-08-27
Sources · provenance
Every listed dataset is used on this page.
The GEOID for Dayton is 3921000. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page. The headline population value above includes a source-detail disclosure with publisher, dataset, vintage, native geography, transformation, and caveat.
