City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 6.4% higher than in Tucson, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Tucson, AZ would need about $106,400 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 $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Tucson, AZ than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.3% moving from Dallas, TX to Tucson, AZ ($115,711 → $108,455), while prices change by −6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,992 in Tucson | $106,392 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Tucson, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
89 Strong offer
Tucson, AZ → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Dallas → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $62,893 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $76,095 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $91,205 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $108,455 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $128,162 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $47,220 | $50,239 (−22.8%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $123,710 | $131,618 (−1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $76,320 | $81,199 (−1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $94,110 | $100,126 (−1.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.