City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 5.3% higher than in Richmond, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Richmond, VA would need about $105,300 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,507 in Richmond, VA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 24% in Richmond, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.9% moving from Dallas, TX to Richmond, VA ($115,711 → $111,183), while prices change by −5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.2% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,925 in Richmond | $105,347 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Richmond, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
85 Strong offer
Richmond, VA → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Richmond, VA | Real change, Dallas → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $64,475 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $78,009 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $93,499 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $111,183 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $131,385 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $61,290 | $64,567 (−0.8%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $132,120 | $139,184 (+4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $84,220 | $88,723 (+7.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $93,580 | $98,583 (−2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.