City comparison
Dallas, TX vs El Paso, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 14.7% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $114,700 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 $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- Both are in TX, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.0% moving from Dallas, TX to El Paso, TX ($115,711 → $106,437), while prices change by −12.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.5% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | El Paso, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 89.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,217 in El Paso | $114,657 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,013/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $39,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and El Paso, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | El Paso |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 71.2 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 82.6 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 89.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
El Paso, TX → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; El Paso, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to El Paso, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | El Paso, TX | Real change, Dallas → El Paso |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $61,722 | +5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $74,678 | +5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $89,508 | +5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $106,437 | +5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $125,776 | +5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | El Paso, TX | El Paso pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $63,800 | $73,151 (+12.4%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $127,310 | $145,969 (+9.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $65,990 | $75,662 (−8.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $86,100 | $98,719 (−2.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.