City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 7.3% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $107,300 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 $1,382 in Springfield, MA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 22% in Springfield, MA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.8% moving from Dallas, TX to Springfield, MA ($115,711 → $120,094), while prices change by −6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.4% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,182 in Springfield | $107,317 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Springfield, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
92 Strong offer
Springfield, MA → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Springfield, MA | Real change, Dallas → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $69,642 | +11.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $84,260 | +11.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $100,992 | +11.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $120,094 | +11.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $141,915 | +11.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $79,640 | $85,467 (+31.3%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $127,740 | $137,087 (+2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $92,010 | $98,743 (+19.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $98,410 | $105,611 (+4.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.