City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 8.9% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $108,900 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 $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Pittsburgh, PA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.9% moving from Dallas, TX to Pittsburgh, PA ($115,711 → $110,047), while prices change by −8.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.6% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,833 in Pittsburgh | $108,893 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,077/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
97 Strong offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
43 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Dallas → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $63,815 | +3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $77,211 | +3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $92,543 | +3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $110,047 | +3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $130,042 | +3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $76,550 | $83,358 (+28.1%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $124,500 | $135,572 (+1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $76,940 | $83,782 (+1.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $82,370 | $89,695 (−11.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.