City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 2.3% higher than in Dallas, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Dallas, TX would need about $102,300 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in AK and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.9% moving from Anchorage, AK to Dallas, TX ($120,348 → $115,711), while prices change by −2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.7% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- 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
| Anchorage, AK | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,790 in Dallas | $102,260 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Dallas, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
76 Strong offer
Dallas, TX → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Dallas, TX | Real change, Anchorage → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $67,100 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $81,186 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $97,307 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $115,711 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $136,736 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $65,070 | $66,541 (−16.1%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $133,290 | $136,303 (+31.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $82,620 | $84,487 (+2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $101,420 | $103,712 (−10.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.