City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 4.8% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $104,800 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 $1,381 in Boise City, ID. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 22% in Boise City, ID.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,192 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.7% moving from Boise City, ID to Dallas, TX ($106,437 → $115,711), while prices change by +4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.8% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (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
| Boise City, ID | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,776 in Dallas | $95,442 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,192/yr.
55 Fair offer
Dallas, TX → Boise City, ID
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$4,192/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Dallas, TX | Real change, Boise City → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $67,100 | +3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $81,186 | +3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $97,307 | +3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $115,711 | +3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $136,736 | +3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $65,070 | $62,104 (+1.4%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $133,290 | $127,214 (−3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $82,620 | $78,854 (+2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $101,420 | $96,797 (−1.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.