What share of people in Dayton are on low incomes?

50.4% of residents of Dayton had incomes below twice the poverty line in 2020-2024, 26th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 28.2%; Ohio: 29.3%).

Poverty and living standards in Dayton, Ohio: official figures

26.9% of residents of Dayton (33,612 people) had incomes below the federal poverty line in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 24th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 12.5%; Ohio: 13.3%).

Poverty rate

26.9%

2020-2024

Child poverty rate (under 18)

40.6%

2020-2024

Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent

53.0%

2020-2024

How many children live in poverty in Dayton?

40.6% of children under 18 in Dayton lived below the poverty line in 2020-2024 (11,493 children), 11th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 16.1%; Ohio: 17.8%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

What is the poverty rate for older people in Dayton?

By age, the poverty rate in Dayton was 41.3% for children under 6 and 21.4% for residents aged 60 and over in 2020-2024 (US: 17.2% and 11.0%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many people in Dayton live in deep poverty?

18,199 people in Dayton, 14.6% of residents, had incomes below half the poverty line in 2020-2024, 30th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.0%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many renters in Dayton are cost-burdened?

53.0% of renting households in Dayton spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2020-2024 (14,801 households), 397th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 51.1%; Ohio: 45.9%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many households in Dayton spend half their income on rent?

27.9% of renting households in Dayton spent half or more of their income on rent and utilities, 336th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 25.9%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many people in Dayton are food insecure?

An estimated 28.0% of adults in Dayton experienced food insecurity in the past year, joint 69th highest of 592 US cities of 50,000 or more with an estimate, and 21.9% housing insecurity (CDC PLACES model-based estimate for 2023, age-adjusted).

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copy

How Dayton compares with other cities in the United States

Residents below the poverty line (2020-2024)

Dayton ranks 24 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Residents below the poverty line
21	Utica	27.5%
22	Stillwater	27.4%
23	Canton	27.4%
24	Dayton	26.9%
25	San Marcos	26.9%
26	Athens	26.5%
27	Davis	26.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Children under 18 below the poverty line (2020-2024)

Dayton ranks 11 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Children under 18 below the poverty line
8	New Brunswick	43.5%
9	Rochester	41.3%
10	Jackson	40.9%
11	Dayton	40.6%
12	Troy	40.5%
13	Birmingham	40.4%
14	Harlingen	39.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Residents with incomes below half the poverty line (2020-2024)

Dayton ranks 30 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Residents with incomes below half the poverty line
27	Boulder	14.8%
28	Muncie	14.8%
29	Utica	14.7%
30	Dayton	14.6%
31	Normal	14.3%
32	Columbia	14.3%
33	Ames	14.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent (2020-2024)

Dayton ranks 397 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent
394	Warwick	53.1%
395	Wyoming	53.0%
396	Gallatin	53.0%
397	Dayton	53.0%
398	Midland	52.9%
399	Spokane	52.9%
400	Carson	52.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) (2023)

Dayton ranks 70 of 592, highest first.

Rank	City	Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate)
67	Tulare	28.1%
68	Wilmington	28.1%
69	Montgomery	28.0%
70	Dayton	28.0%
71	Hesperia	27.9%
72	National City	27.9%
73	Pomona	27.8%

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copy

More on Dayton: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · all cities in the United States

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: PLACES: Place Data (GIS Friendly Format), 2025 release: model-based age-adjusted prevalence among adults, for every place (data.cdc.gov API, columns used), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b2174bcc660f…)
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B17020: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Age (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 e79a292f34605560506b7f4b5c8ea242c9d6e203c8e95ba675565ddb7758571e), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 41bab025d213…)
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table C17002: Ratio of Income to Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 dc3dc675113683ec3ff2a0e29a840f43e03268151d7f14b922658d7306da5187), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 31aa364bfddf…)
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25070: Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 862ccc17d913305d11e6f802ce4518d76b30585ea0b05b251cd8cf21f8661386), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4f8d499d9e95…)

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