1. Define Dayton correctly before you judge the numbers
The Census records Dayton as a CDP in Middlesex County, New Jersey. The population estimate is a description of that place, not a forecast of legal inquiries. A dashboard review should therefore distinguish Dayton from Middlesex County, New Jersey as a whole, and any broader metropolitan geography your firm chooses to serve. Those boundaries affect how you interpret city fields, keyword targets, calls and source attribution. They should not be silently combined into one local-market number.
Recommended approach
Ask for a walkthrough using separate labels for Dayton and Middlesex County. Decide which geographic questions matter to the firm: where a search was targeted, where a caller says they are located, where a landing page is focused, or which service area the matter belongs to. Record those definitions before comparing periods or allocating budget.
