City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Houston, TX
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 Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX 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 $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 20% in Houston, TX.
- Both are in TX, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.1% moving from Dallas, TX to Houston, TX ($115,711 → $122,749), while prices change by −4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.9% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,673 in Houston | $104,523 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
83 Strong offer
Houston, TX → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Houston, TX | Real change, Dallas → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $71,181 | +10.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $86,123 | +10.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $103,225 | +10.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $122,749 | +10.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $145,052 | +10.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $64,500 | $67,417 (+3.6%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $129,440 | $135,295 (+1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $85,090 | $88,939 (+7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $99,830 | $104,345 (+2.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.