City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 13.6% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $113,600 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 $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Baton Rouge, LA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.7% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Dallas, TX ($106,437 → $115,711), while prices change by +13.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.3% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,560 in Dallas | $88,059 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
38 Weak offer
Dallas, TX → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Dallas, TX | Real change, Baton Rouge → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $67,100 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $81,186 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $97,307 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $115,711 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $136,736 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $65,070 | $57,300 (−3.4%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $133,290 | $117,374 (+15.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $82,620 | $72,754 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $101,420 | $89,309 (+10.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.