City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 15.4% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $115,400 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.8% moving from Columbus, GA to Dallas, TX ($112,556 → $115,711), while prices change by +15.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.0% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (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
| Columbus, GA | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,448 in Dallas | $86,619 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
38 Weak offer
Dallas, TX → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Dallas, TX | Real change, Columbus → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $67,100 | −11.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $81,186 | −11.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $97,307 | −11.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $115,711 | −11.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $136,736 | −11.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $65,070 | $56,363 (−8.1%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $133,290 | $115,455 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $82,620 | $71,565 (−2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $101,420 | $87,849 (+6.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.