City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Denver, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Denver, CO are 2.6% higher than in Dallas, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Dallas, TX would need about $102,600 in Denver, CO to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,754 a month in Denver, CO versus $1,648 in Dallas, TX. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Denver, CO and 25% in Dallas, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Denver, CO than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.6% moving from Dallas, TX to Denver, CO ($115,711 → $118,675), while prices change by +2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.0% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Denver, CO: price level 105.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Denver, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 105.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,611 in Denver | $97,455 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,754/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $62,320 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 146.9 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 101.0 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 87.9 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 105.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Denver, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
56 Fair offer
Denver, CO → Dallas, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Denver, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Denver, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Denver, CO | Real change, Dallas → Denver |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $68,819 | −0.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $83,265 | −0.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $99,800 | −0.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $118,675 | −0.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $140,239 | −0.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Denver, CO | Denver pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $76,910 | $74,953 (+15.2%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $137,610 | $134,108 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $100,020 | $97,475 (+18.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $101,130 | $98,556 (−2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.