City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 3.5% higher than in Dallas, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Dallas, TX would need about $103,500 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,648 in Dallas, TX. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 25% in Dallas, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Sacramento, CA ($115,711 → $117,984), while prices change by +3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,473 in Sacramento | $96,644 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
51 Fair offer
Sacramento, CA → Dallas, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Dallas → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $68,419 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $82,780 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $99,218 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $117,984 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $139,422 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $103,390 | $99,920 (+53.6%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $139,640 | $134,953 (+1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $92,110 | $89,019 (+7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $171,460 | $165,706 (+63.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.