City comparison
Columbus, 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 8.0% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $108,000 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 $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Columbus, OH than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.2% moving from Columbus, OH to Dallas, TX ($111,065 → $115,711), while prices change by +8.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.5% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (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
| Columbus, OH | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,983 in Dallas | $92,607 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/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 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
46 Fair offer
Dallas, TX → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Dallas, TX | Real change, Columbus → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $67,100 | −3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $81,186 | −3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $97,307 | −3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $115,711 | −3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $136,736 | −3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $65,070 | $60,260 (−22.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $133,290 | $123,436 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $82,620 | $76,512 (−6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $101,420 | $93,922 (+11.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.