City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Harrisburg, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 4.5% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $104,500 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 $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Harrisburg, PA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.2% moving from Dallas, TX to Harrisburg, PA ($115,711 → $108,592), while prices change by −4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Harrisburg, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 98.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,693 in Harrisburg | $104,501 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,212/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $49,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 96.3 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 108.1 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 98.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
83 Strong offer
Harrisburg, PA → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Harrisburg, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Harrisburg, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Harrisburg, PA | Real change, Dallas → Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $62,972 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $76,190 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $91,320 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $108,592 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $128,323 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Harrisburg, PA | Harrisburg pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $77,160 | $80,633 (+23.9%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $109,470 | $114,397 (−14.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $76,510 | $79,954 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $96,770 | $101,125 (−0.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.