City comparison

Dallas, TX vs Minneapolis, MN

What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.

Key findings

  • Prices in Minneapolis, MN are 1.7% higher than in Dallas, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Dallas, TX would need about $101,700 in Minneapolis, MN to live the same way.
  • Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,405 in Minneapolis, MN. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 23% in Minneapolis, MN.
  • On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,277 a year higher in Minneapolis, MN than in Dallas, TX.
  • For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.3% moving from Dallas, TX to Minneapolis, MN ($115,711 → $116,038), while prices change by +1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
DallasMinneapolis
Price level (U.S. = 100):Under 9292–9898–102102–108Over 108
  • Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
  • Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (pricier)

Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.

Side by side

Dallas, TXMinneapolis, MN
Price level (U.S. = 100)2103.1104.8
$100,000 is worth, in the other city2$101,680 in Minneapolis$98,348 in Dallas
Typical 1-bedroom rent3$1,648/mo$1,405/mo
Take-home on $100,00014,15,8$79,180$73,903
State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8$0 (TX)$5,277 (MN)
Rent burden on $100,00025%23%
Median pay, all jobs4$51,440$59,320
Federal locality pay area7Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OKMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI

Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI.

What costs more or less

Dallas, TXMinneapolis, MN
Price level (U.S. = 100)DallasMinneapolis
Housing (rent)117.9111.8
Goods102.8103.1
Utilities90.793.5
Other services99.7104.4
Overall103.1104.8
BEA Regional Price Parities2. Housing covers rents.

Moving with the same $100,000 salary

Dallas, TX → Minneapolis, MN

Roughly even

Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$5,277/yr.

64 Fair offer

Minneapolis, MN → Dallas, TX

Roughly even

Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,277/yr.

74 Strong offer

On the GS pay scale?

Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Minneapolis, MN is in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Minneapolis, MN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.

Grade5,2Dallas, TXMinneapolis, MNReal change, Dallas → Minneapolis
GS-9 step 1$67,100$67,290−1.4%
GS-11 step 1$81,186$81,415−1.4%
GS-12 step 1$97,307$97,582−1.4%
GS-13 step 1$115,711$116,038−1.4%
GS-14 step 1$136,736$137,123−1.4%

Pay for common jobs

Median annual pay4Dallas, TXMinneapolis, MNMinneapolis pay in Dallas dollars
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$65,070$79,730$78,413 (+20.5%)
Software Developers$133,290$130,920$128,757 (−3.4%)
Accountants and Auditors$82,620$86,500$85,071 (+3.0%)
Registered Nurses$101,420$103,040$101,337 (−0.1%)

"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.

Check your own offer

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Taxes are estimates for a single filer taking the standard deduction; city and county income taxes are not included. See the methodology.

Notes & Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, Metropolitan Statistical Area population estimates (Vintage 2025) (2025). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by MSA (MARPP), all items (2024). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  3. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents, 1-bedroom (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, metropolitan areas (2025). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  5. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, General Schedule (GS) pay rates with locality pay, 2026 (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  6. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Locality codes used in the 2026 GS pay spreadsheet (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  7. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2026 Locality Pay Area Definitions (counties in each pay area) (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  8. Tax Foundation, State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026 (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  9. U.S. Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file: states, 1:20,000,000 (2024) (2024). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  10. U.S. Census Bureau, Gazetteer file: core based statistical areas (2025) (2025). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  11. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table C24010 (occupation of employed residents) by ZIP code area (2024). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  12. U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Tabulation Area relationship files (2020; Connecticut 2022) and Gazetteer locations (2025) (2025). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  13. U.S. Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary files (ZIP code areas 2020; counties and states 2024) and TIGER/Line primary roads (2024) (2024). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  14. Internal Revenue Service, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 tax brackets and standard deduction) (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  15. Internal Revenue Service, Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide for 2026 (Social Security and Medicare) (2026). Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  16. U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, O*NET 31.0 Database: Job Titles (used under CC BY 4.0; O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA) (2026). Retrieved 2026-10-14.