City comparison
Columbia, SC vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 10.1% higher than in Columbia, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbia, SC would need about $110,100 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 $1,164 in Columbia, SC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 19% in Columbia, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Columbia, SC than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.7% moving from Columbia, SC to Dallas, TX ($106,437 → $115,711), while prices change by +10.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.2% in real buying power.
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (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
| Columbia, SC | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.7 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,066 in Dallas | $90,855 in Columbia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,164/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,430 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbia, SC and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbia | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.5 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 88.3 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 93.7 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbia, SC → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
40 Weak offer
Dallas, TX → Columbia, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbia, SC 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 Columbia, SC to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbia, SC | Dallas, TX | Real change, Columbia → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $67,100 | −1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $81,186 | −1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $97,307 | −1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $115,711 | −1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $136,736 | −1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbia, SC | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Columbia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,050 | $65,070 | $59,119 (−1.6%) |
| Software Developers | $123,380 | $133,290 | $121,100 (−1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $69,210 | $82,620 | $75,064 (+8.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,920 | $101,420 | $92,145 (+12.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.