Vandalia receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Vandalia
Dayton
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs52 · Bottom 41%
Growth
52 · Top 46%
vs51 · Top 49%
Climate
68 · Bottom 41%
vs68 · Bottom 41%
Physical resilience
85 · Top 16%
vs85 · Top 16%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs85 · Top 42%
Schools
56 · Top 44%
vs11 · Bottom 3%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
70 · Top 30%
vs29 · Bottom 6%
Measured values
| Metric | Vandalia | Dayton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,053 | 136,579 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,275 | $45,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,556 | $27,444 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,220/sq mi | 2,447/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $197,000 | $100,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $882 | $918 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.6% | 48.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.8% | 0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.2% | 21.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.0% | 26.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 13 | 364 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 2.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 18.2% | 4.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.3" | 41.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 2 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.7 min | 21.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.6 | 34.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 37 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.90 | 17.33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 60.4% | 24.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 64.5% | 31.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 39.2% | 49.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: Vandalia, OH · Dayton, OH · How this is calculated: methodology