City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Gainesville, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 6.6% higher than in Gainesville, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Gainesville, FL would need about $106,600 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 $1,246 in Gainesville, FL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 19% in Gainesville, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Gainesville, FL ($115,711 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Gainesville, FL: price level 96.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Gainesville, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 96.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,834 in Gainesville | $106,572 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,246/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $47,020 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Gainesville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Gainesville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Gainesville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 93.0 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 88.2 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 96.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Gainesville, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
89 Strong offer
Gainesville, FL → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Gainesville, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Gainesville, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Gainesville, FL | Real change, Dallas → Gainesville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $61,722 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $74,678 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $89,508 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $106,437 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $125,776 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Gainesville, FL | Gainesville pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $56,430 | $60,138 (−7.6%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $122,950 | $131,030 (−1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $75,820 | $80,803 (−2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $81,870 | $87,250 (−14.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.