Dayton anchors one of Ohio's busiest fuel corridors, with Interstate 70 and Interstate 75 crossing at the city's edge and the Wright-Patterson commuter base feeding steady traffic to surrounding stations. Ohio is the 6th largest C-store market in the country at 5,833 stores, and the Dayton metro carries a deep mix of branded sites, independent single-store operators, and net-leased investment assets. National station cap rates run near 5.6 percent, and Ohio sits in the middle of that range. C-Store Trader is the fuel and C-store practice of Eagle Nest Property Group in Dallas, Texas. We bring institutional underwriting, a national buyer network, and licensed Texas brokerage through Eagle Nest Brokerage LLC to every Dayton assignment.
The Dayton, Ohio C-Store Market
Dayton's fuel market is shaped by its position at the I-70 and I-75 crossroads, a junction that pushes interstate and local traffic past stations across Montgomery County. Ohio counts 5,833 C-stores statewide, the 6th largest total in the nation, and Dayton holds a wide spread of asset types within that base. About 60 percent of US C-stores are single-store operators, and that pattern holds in Dayton, where independent owners list alongside branded sites and net-leased investment properties.
A busy urban Dayton station can run 100,000 to 150,000 gallons per month, well above the US average of roughly 4,000 gallons per day. We track active inventory across the metro and the state. Start with our Ohio C-stores for sale overview, then drill into branded and NNN listings.
Buying a C-Store in Dayton
Buyers in Dayton face the same core questions on every deal: fuel volume, in-store margin, lease structure, and environmental condition. C-store items typically carry 20 to 40 percent margins and account for about 30 percent of revenue but near 70 percent of profit, so inside sales matter as much as gallons. A small-to-medium station owner often nets roughly 70,000 to 100,000 dollars per year, rising to 100,000 to 500,000 by site.
Financing usually runs through SBA 7(a), which caps at 5 million dollars and requires a 15 percent minimum equity injection on special-purpose fuel sites, with closings in 30 to 90 days. A Phase I ESA (ASTM E1527-21) costs 1,800 to 3,500 dollars and is required for SBA fuel deals. See our buyer services, the SBA 7(a) guide, and the due diligence checklist.
Selling a C-Store in Dayton
Selling well in Dayton starts with clean financials and a defensible value. Business-only deals typically trade at 2.5x to 4.0x EBITDA, combined operations at 4.0x to 7.0x, and sites sold with the real estate at about 8x EBITDA (7x to 9x in premium markets). Sale timelines run 3 to 6 months, and broker commissions are 10 to 20 percent on business-only deals and roughly 6 to 10 percent when real estate is included.
Sellers should resolve tank records and any environmental questions early, since many conventional lenders avoid USTs under CERCLA exposure. We package, price, and market each Dayton site to qualified buyers. Review our seller services, the sale-leaseback option for operators who want to keep running the store, and the how to sell a C-store guide.
C-Store Values and Cap Rates in Ohio
National station cap rates average about 5.6 percent, roughly 5.58 percent with fuel income and 6.87 percent without. Tighter markets like Florida price near 5.11 percent, while weaker markets run 6.0 to 6.5 percent and higher. Ohio and the Dayton metro generally sit in that secondary-market band, which means buyers can find higher going-in yields here than in coastal markets.
Tenant credit drives pricing on net-leased deals: Wawa trades at 4.83 to 5.20 percent, 7-Eleven at 5.00 to 5.40 percent, Murphy USA near 5.13 percent, and Circle K at 5.35 to 5.65 percent. Run your own numbers with our cap rate calculator and valuation calculator, and read what is a good cap rate for context.
