City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 2.1% higher than in Reno, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Reno, NV would need about $102,100 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 $1,489 in Reno, NV. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 23% in Reno, NV.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.7% moving from Dallas, TX to Reno, NV ($115,711 → $106,855), while prices change by −2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.8% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,986 in Reno | $102,055 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Reno, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
75 Strong offer
Reno, NV → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Reno, NV | Real change, Dallas → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $61,965 | −5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $74,972 | −5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $89,859 | −5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $106,855 | −5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $126,271 | −5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $62,430 | $63,713 (−2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $125,710 | $128,294 (−3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $82,370 | $84,063 (+1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $107,520 | $109,730 (+8.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.