City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Dallas, TX (103.1) and Phoenix, AZ (103.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Dallas, TX goes as far as $100,200 in Phoenix, AZ.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX and $1,583 in Phoenix, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Phoenix, AZ than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.8% moving from Dallas, TX to Phoenix, AZ ($115,711 → $111,338), while prices change by +0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.0% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,219 in Phoenix | $99,781 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Phoenix, AZ
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
68 Fair offer
Phoenix, AZ → Dallas, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Dallas → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $64,564 | −4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $78,117 | −4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $93,629 | −4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $111,338 | −4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $131,568 | −4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $59,180 | $59,051 (−9.3%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $131,750 | $131,462 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $80,820 | $80,643 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $100,830 | $100,609 (−0.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.