The Dayton metro area: Greene, Miami and Montgomery counties · Population 816,080 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the Dayton area
Household size in the Dayton area
| Period | Dayton area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.43 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.42 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.39 | 2.47 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.37 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
The Dayton area is a place of small households, averaging 2.37 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.43, as it has nationally. Of the 100 large U.S. metro areas, only seven have smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in the Dayton area
| Period | Dayton area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.5 | 39.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.5 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.0 | 40.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.0 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.5 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in the Dayton area are younger than 41.0 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 39.5 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the northwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in the Dayton area
| Period | Dayton area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.6% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.2% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.5% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −0.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in the Dayton area (11.5%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged down 0.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in the Dayton area
Renters in the Dayton area
| Period | Dayton area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.9% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.2% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.8% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.0% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in the Dayton area is about as common as it is nationally: 35.0% of households rent, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 39.1% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the northeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged up 1.1 points, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in the Dayton area
| Period | Dayton area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 10.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 10.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.6% | 10.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in the Dayton area than nationally: 8.0%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The figure for Ohio is much the same. Vacancy has fallen 2.8 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in the Dayton area
| Period | Dayton area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1967 | 1968 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1969 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1970 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in the Dayton area is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1970, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1967 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in the Dayton area
| Period | Dayton area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $775 | $765 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $843 | $814 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $893 | $901 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,166 | $1,142 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$391 | +$377 | +$606 |
A typical rental in the Dayton area costs $1,166 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $391 a month since 2006–10, up 51%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 29.1% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the south; the most affordable are in the north.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in the Dayton area
Bachelor's degrees in the Dayton area
| Period | Dayton area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.7% | 25.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.3% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.0% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 33.6% | 31.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in the Dayton area as nationally: 33.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 6.9 points, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the west.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in the Dayton area
| Period | Dayton area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.7% | 87.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.4% | 88.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.0% | 90.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.9% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in the Dayton area have finished high school (92.9%), above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 4.2 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The Dayton area has a higher share of high school graduates than the great majority of large metro areas.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in the Dayton area
| Period | Dayton area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 9.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in the Dayton area is close to the national rate: 5.0% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 3.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Largest cities in the Dayton area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dayton area (all) | 2.37 | 41.0 | 11.5% | 35.0% | 8.0% | 1970 | $1,166 | 33.6% | 92.9% | 5.0% |
| Kettering | 2.23 | 39.7 | 9.9% | 35.9% | 5.7% | 1961 | $1,083 | 40.5% | 95.2% | 4.0% |
| Beavercreek | 2.46 | 41.7 | 8.3% | 28.8% | 6.2% | 1981 | $1,530 | 51.6% | 96.5% | 3.6% |
| Fairborn | 2.29 | 38.2 | 10.2% | 45.7% | 7.7% | 1974 | $1,106 | 31.4% | 91.2% | 4.2% |
| Huber Heights | 2.43 | 40.1 | 13.6% | 27.4% | 5.3% | 1976 | $1,302 | 23.7% | 93.2% | 3.6% |
| Miamisburg | 2.39 | 38.7 | 10.0% | 37.1% | 5.7% | 1983 | $1,343 | 35.7% | 94.1% | 3.5% |
| Xenia | 2.53 | 42.5 | 12.5% | 30.6% | 8.2% | 1975 | $1,166 | 32.3% | 92.0% | 4.4% |
| Troy | 2.49 | 41.3 | 9.3% | 29.8% | 6.2% | 1976 | $1,075 | 36.0% | 93.4% | 3.7% |
| Centerville | 2.13 | 48.2 | 5.8% | 30.4% | 3.1% | 1978 | $1,498 | 50.3% | 97.8% | 3.6% |
| Riverside | 2.26 | 37.4 | 11.0% | 44.2% | 8.3% | 1967 | $1,004 | 23.1% | 89.1% | 6.2% |
| Piqua | 2.39 | 41.0 | 13.2% | 30.3% | 6.6% | 1960 | $911 | 16.2% | 87.7% | 3.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Fort Myers area · Boise area · Greensboro area · Stockton area · Charleston area · Columbia area · Sarasota area · Oxnard area · Allentown area · Worcester area
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up the Dayton area. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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