From the beginning, innovation has been the lifeblood of Dayton, leading city officials to call it the “birthplace of next.” Home of the Wright brothers, the Montgomery County seat hosts hundreds of booming manufacturing and technology companies. It’s also next door to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio’s largest single-site employer. Along with plentiful economic opportunity, Dayton places nearly 140,000 people within 60 miles of bigger cities like Cincinnati and Columbus. However, Realtor Rachel Gannon of Home Experts Realty, a lifelong Dayton resident, says locals don’t typically need to travel that far to find what they need. “I love the fact that it’s kind of a big city, but not really a big city,” she says. “The sense of community between people and small businesses in the area is really impressive.”
This riverside city’s strengths also include its recreational, social and culinary scenes. Several organizations support Downtown Dayton, the city’s central business district and event epicenter. Walkable streets lead to award-winning restaurants, a renowned fine arts center, metro parks and more. Surrounding historical districts hold museums and tight-knit communities.
Surrounding historical districts in Dayton hold museums such as the Dayton Arcade.
The Performing Arts Center is an iconic 2,300-seat theater in Dayton.
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Dayton's Recovery Plan is revitalizing key districts
The downtown Dayton area covers a few dozen blocks along the river. Residential real estate in the area is limited to condominiums, luxury townhouses and a few longstanding, single-family residences. The city’s historic neighborhoods radiate outward from downtown, showcasing a colorful collection of classic architecture. Styles vary between Victorian Italianate, Mission Revival, Tudor, Gothic Revival, American Foursquare, Craftsman and Queen Anne. More recent American home styles—including Cape Cods, New Traditional and ranch-style houses—appear farther into the suburbs.
While Dayton has recently seen a steady increase in home prices, the city’s median price hovers around $177,000. This is substantially lower than the national median of about $400,000 and comparatively lower than prices in Cincinnati and Columbus. The city addresses residential needs in areas like Wolf Creek and Five Oaks through the Dayton Recovery Plan, a multi-million-dollar initiative reshaping neighborhoods and rebuilding communities. “This is probably one of the most important things I could share with you. As of October 10, 2024, over 92 vacant properties are cited to be demolished, and that’s huge for a lot of people,” says Sarah Lydia Keihl, public information associate for the city’s Communications and Public Affairs department. University Park, Webster Station and the Oregon Historic District are among Dayton’s most expensive neighborhoods.
While driving down streets in Dayton you can find beautiful and large Victorian homes.
Many homes within Dayton are built on elevated slopes.
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Arts, culture and outdoor escapes thrive in the city
Dayton’s arts and culture scene extends throughout the city, starting downtown. The Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, a 2,300-seat theater, is home to the city’s Philharmonic Orchestra, opera and ballet. The Dayton Art Institute is one of the city’s best-known landmarks, and the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery brings archaeological science to life. Carillon Historical Park and Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park are open-air museums brimming with relics and homages to the city’s inventive history.
With the Great Miami River cutting through the center of the city, outdoor recreation is in no short supply. People can follow the river by kayak, boat or trail. The river also serves as a backdrop to RiverScape MetroPark’s summer concerts and winter ice skating rink. A couple blocks down, Day Air Ballpark offers nearly 7,000 seats for fans to cheer on the Dayton Dragons Minor League Baseball team. Along the Stillwater River, Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark attracts visitors from all over the Miami Valley with its impressive floral displays, walking trails and year-round community garden.
Dayton residents can take a mile walk to Day Air Ballpark to watch the Dragons baseball team.
Murals are a common sight in Dayton and are created by local artists.
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Drinks downtown, shopping in the Oregon District
Downtown is home to a booming craft beer scene, with several microbreweries appearing from block to block. Many participate in the city’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), a defined boundary that allows patrons ages 21 and over to purchase and carry alcoholic beverages while exploring downtown. James-Beard finalist chefs lead the kitchens of several of the area’s upscale eateries, like Sueño. From the Oregon District to the University of Dayton, historic buildings have been converted into boutique shops, family-owned restaurants, and merchant squares that support local artists and farmers. The Dayton Recovery Plan allocates funds toward supporting minority businesses and community-owned organizations throughout the city.
Meet with friends to grab a drink and talk at Gather in Dayton.
Sneakerheads of Dayton can pick up some new kicks from Corporate.
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Year-round events and neighborhood-led festivities
City-led and locally organized events happen all around Dayton throughout the year. On the first Friday of every month, people are invited downtown to enjoy art exhibit openings, live performances and shopping specials. Summer in the City brings a month-long event circuit, while Yuletide ushers in the Dayton Holiday Festival, an annual tradition since 1972. Saint Anne’s Hill Historic District hosts Porch Fest, where about 50 homes host local musicians to perform mini concerts for their neighbors. “People come from all over to tour the neighborhood, listen to music and grab some food,” Gannon says. Around Halloween, The Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow in Grafton Hill lights up the neighborhood with over 1,000 flickering jack-o-lanterns. Fifth Street closes down every weekend in the Oregon District to let pop-up shops, restaurant patios and pedestrians overtake the street.
Guests rocked out their evening at the Brightside in Dayton.
Saturate your senses in the sights, sounds, and tastes at Dayton Celtic Fest in Dayton.
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A haven for young artists and the University of Dayton
The Dayton Public School District serves prekindergarten through 12th-grade students citywide, with 12,000 enrolled across over two dozen schools. Niche gives the district a C overall. Its highest-rated school is Stivers School for the Arts, a public high school with eight magnet concentrations in performing, visual and technical arts. The school has a B-plus Niche rating, and students must audition for admission.
The city is also home to two major universities. The A-rated University of Dayton ranks as the nation’s seventh-best Catholic research university. The university’s proximity to downtown allows students to easily access the city’s major parks, commercial hubs and events. Wright State University sits beside Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, earning an overall grade of B-minus.
The University of Dayton, located in Dayton, has a premier college basketball facility.
Dayton residents commonly send their kids to Belmont High School.
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Big employers and future bike trails
The Wright brothers’ local influence remains palpable as aerospace and aviation technology remain critical to the economy. Healthcare also accounts for many local jobs, with Premier Health Partners, Kettering Health Network and Dayton Children’s Hospital among the city’s top five employers. Residents commute via Highway 35 and Interstate 70, along with miles of bike routes. The Flight Line project will expand the city’s extensive trail network by repurposing over 6 miles of blighted rail line into a multi-use greenway. The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority operates public buses throughout the metropolitan area, and Dayton International Airport provides nonstop flights to 12 U.S. destinations about 10 miles away.
Higher crime rates but lower floods
According to the FBI, Dayton experiences substantially higher rates of property and violent crime than the rest of the country. The Dayton Police Department's annual statistics reflect a nearly 8% drop in overall crime. The police department runs programs like the Gun Reduction Initiatives to reduce crime and make other safety advances.
While the Great Flood of 1913 is a significant part of local history, annual river flooding lessened considerably after the city implemented flood walls and conservancy districts. “There are a lot of flood zones throughout Dayton, but honestly, the last big flood I can think of was way back in the 1970s,” says Candace Johnson, Realtor at Coldwell Banker Heritage Realtors. However, offshoots of the river, like Wolf Creek, Mad River and Stillwater River, are more susceptible to seasonal flooding.
There are many qualities and skills that go into being an excellent real estate professional – integrity, in-depth community and market knowledge, marketing savvy, effective negotiation skills and a high-quality professional network, all of which are hallmarks of how Gay Smith works.
That said, in her experience as a Sidney real estate professional, she has also found that providing the very best service is essentially about putting her clients first. This means keeping herself accessible, being a good listener as well as a good communicator, and responding quickly to your needs.
This “client first” philosophy has always been Gay Smith’s approach and it requires her to continually improve her skills and ways of doing business. In addition, she has found that the latest technologies are enabling her to do everything she has always done, only much more quickly and efficiently. They have also helped her to extend the range of services she provides to her clients.
So, when you decide that you would like to buy or sell a home in the Sidney, Piqua, Troy, Tipp City, Anna, Jackson Center, Russia, Ft. Loramie, Minster, New Bremen, Versailles areas, please contact Gay Smith.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
