“What does livability actually mean?” the study noted. “Well, it’s everything that you would care about when choosing where to live, including whether this place can support the well-being and social engagement of its residents.”
Here’s how Dayton ranked in the three livability categories:
Local economy rank: 89
- The cost of living in Dayton is 3.5% below the national average, despite a 1.2% increase since last year.
- The job market is going better, as the unemployment rate is down to 4.9%, compared to 5.3% in 2024.
- Why didn’t Dayton rank higher? The income growth took a hit: It’s now 4%, down from 7% last year.
Quality of life rank: 51
- Health is a major strength in Dayton. Food quality scores an 8 on a scale from 0 (worst) to 10 (best), and there’s a wide network of healthcare providers — 19 establishments for every 10,000 residents.
- More residents are working out: Now, 78% are active, up from 74.2% a year ago.
Location and community rank: 14
- Dayton is among the metro areas where only 24.7% or one in four residents spends more than 30 minutes commuting.
- At the same time, many homes lacking gas or electricity have been repaired, with severe housing problems dropping from 11.3% in 2024 to 10% in 2025.
In addition the study labeled Dayton as a competitive metro area. The Year-End Rental Competitiveness Report revealed Dayton ranks as the 12th hottest small market of 2025.
The study also noted the Midwest dominated all regions when it comes to overall livability, with six metro areas ranking in the top 20, including Columbus, which ranked No. 7.
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