City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Durham, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 5.7% higher than in Durham, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Durham, NC would need about $105,700 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,507 in Durham, NC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 24% in Durham, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Durham, NC than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.9% moving from Dallas, TX to Durham, NC ($115,711 → $111,147), while prices change by −5.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.5% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Durham, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 97.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,647 in Durham | $105,655 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $60,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Durham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 98.9 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 97.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Durham, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
86 Strong offer
Durham, NC → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Durham, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Durham, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Durham, NC | Real change, Dallas → Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $64,453 | +1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $77,983 | +1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $93,468 | +1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $111,147 | +1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $131,342 | +1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Durham, NC | Durham pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $51,400 | $54,307 (−16.5%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $135,620 | $143,290 (+7.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $85,090 | $89,902 (+8.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | not published | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.