City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 1.4% higher than in Dallas, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Dallas, TX would need about $101,400 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,511 in Baltimore, MD. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 24% in Baltimore, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.0% moving from Baltimore, MD to Dallas, TX ($121,785 → $115,711), while prices change by −1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Baltimore, MD | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,663 in Dallas | $101,355 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Dallas, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
73 Strong offer
Dallas, TX → Baltimore, MD
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Dallas, TX | Real change, Baltimore → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $67,100 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $81,186 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $97,307 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $115,711 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $136,736 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $65,070 | $65,952 (−13.7%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $133,290 | $135,096 (−2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $82,620 | $83,740 (−1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $101,420 | $102,794 (+3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.