City comparison
Albany, NY vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 3.5% higher than in Albany, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Albany, NY would need about $103,500 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,417 in Albany, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 23% in Albany, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Albany, NY than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.4% moving from Albany, NY to Dallas, TX ($109,810 → $115,711), while prices change by +3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.8% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,539 in Dallas | $96,582 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
58 Fair offer
Dallas, TX → Albany, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Dallas, TX | Real change, Albany → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $67,100 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $81,186 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $97,307 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $115,711 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $136,736 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $65,070 | $62,846 (−20.7%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $133,290 | $128,734 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $82,620 | $79,796 (−5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $101,420 | $97,953 (−2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.