City comparison
Cincinnati, OH is about 50 miles (80 km) from Dayton, OH in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 59 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Cincinnati, OH to Dayton, OH takes about 6 min, covering roughly 50 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Cincinnati has a population of 308,870, vs 137,305 in Dayton — about 2.2× larger by population. By land area, Cincinnati covers about 78 sq mi vs 56 sq mi for Dayton.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Cincinnati | Dayton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $893/mo | $830/mo | 7.6% higher in Cincinnati |
| Median home value | $192,000 | $86,200 | 122.7% higher in Cincinnati |
| Median household income | $49,191 | $41,443 | 18.7% higher in Cincinnati |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 93.9 | ≈ equal (Cincinnati slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 91.0 | 95.1 | 4.4% higher in Dayton |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 98.8 | ≈ equal (Cincinnati slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 99.0 | 99.0 | ≈ equal (Cincinnati slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Cincinnati, you'd need $93,898 in Dayton to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Dayton, OH is about 6.1% cheaper overall than Cincinnati, OH, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 19% higher in Cincinnati than in Dayton. If you earn $80,000 in Cincinnati, you'd need about $75,119 in Dayton to keep the same standard of living.