City comparison
Austin, TX vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 5.1% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $105,100 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,562 in Austin, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 24% in Austin, TX.
- Both are in TX, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.7% moving from Austin, TX to Dallas, TX ($109,428 → $115,711), while prices change by +5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.6% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (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
| Austin, TX | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,123 in Dallas | $95,127 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
54 Fair offer
Dallas, TX → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Dallas, TX | Real change, Austin → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $67,100 | +0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $81,186 | +0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $97,307 | +0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $115,711 | +0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $136,736 | +0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $65,070 | $61,899 (+1.0%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $133,290 | $126,794 (−5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $82,620 | $78,594 (−5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $101,420 | $96,477 (−1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.