City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Syracuse, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 7.7% higher than in Syracuse, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Syracuse, NY would need about $107,700 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 $1,123 in Syracuse, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 18% in Syracuse, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Syracuse, NY than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Syracuse, NY ($115,711 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.0% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Syracuse, NY: price level 95.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Syracuse, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 95.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,872 in Syracuse | $107,675 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $52,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Syracuse, NY MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Syracuse, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 80.7 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 133.4 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 95.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Syracuse, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
93 Strong offer
Syracuse, NY → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Syracuse, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Syracuse, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Syracuse, NY | Real change, Dallas → Syracuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $61,722 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $74,678 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $89,508 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $106,437 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $125,776 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Syracuse, NY | Syracuse pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $78,560 | $84,589 (+30.0%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $129,100 | $139,008 (+4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $82,230 | $88,541 (+7.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $86,960 | $93,634 (−7.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.