City comparison
Boston, MA vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 5.0% higher than in Dallas, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Dallas, TX would need about $105,000 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,648 in Dallas, TX. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 25% in Dallas, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Boston, MA to Dallas, TX ($120,548 → $115,711), while prices change by −4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much 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
| Boston, MA | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,219 in Dallas | $105,021 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Dallas, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
84 Strong offer
Dallas, TX → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
31 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Dallas, TX | Real change, Boston → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $67,100 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $81,186 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $97,307 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $115,711 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $136,736 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $65,070 | $68,337 (−30.3%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $133,290 | $139,982 (−15.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $82,620 | $86,768 (−13.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $101,420 | $106,512 (+0.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.