City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 9.8% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $109,800 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 $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Cleveland, OH than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.1% moving from Cleveland, OH to Dallas, TX ($111,138 → $115,711), while prices change by +9.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.1% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- 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
| Cleveland, OH | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,760 in Dallas | $91,108 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
41 Weak offer
Dallas, TX → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Dallas, TX | Real change, Cleveland → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $67,100 | −5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $81,186 | −5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $97,307 | −5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $115,711 | −5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $136,736 | −5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $65,070 | $59,284 (−22.5%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $133,290 | $121,438 (+9.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $82,620 | $75,273 (−5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $101,420 | $92,402 (+10.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.