Is Dayton, IL a Good Place to Live?
Dayton is a small town of 498 in Illinois, with a median household income of $109,931 and a 1.2% unemployment rate.
Strengths: Dayton stands out for below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Dayton is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Dayton city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Cost of living data is based on the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for the Dayton metro area.
| Metric | Dayton, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $237,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | N/A | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 76.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $109,931 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeDayton's violent crime rate is 96.6 per 100,000 residents — 75% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Dayton, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 29.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 93.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Dayton sees average highs of 31.4°F in January and 84.0°F in July, with 40.1 inches of annual precipitation and 25.0 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Dayton, IL |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 31.4°F |
| Average High — July | 84.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 25.0" |
Demographics
| Metric | Dayton, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 498 | — |
| Median Age | 43.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 1.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 21.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 99.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 22.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 15.1% | 16.8% |