City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Fort Wayne, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 11.4% higher than in Fort Wayne, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Wayne, IN would need about $111,400 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 $916 in Fort Wayne, IN. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 14% in Fort Wayne, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,921 a year higher in Fort Wayne, IN than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Fort Wayne, IN ($115,711 → $106,437), while prices change by −10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.4% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Fort Wayne, IN: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Fort Wayne, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 92.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,797 in Fort Wayne | $111,362 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $916/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $47,700 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Fort Wayne, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Fort Wayne, IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Fort Wayne |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 72.3 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 94.3 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 86.2 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 99.1 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 92.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Fort Wayne, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,921/yr.
100 Strong offer
Fort Wayne, IN → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,921/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Fort Wayne, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Fort Wayne, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Fort Wayne, IN | Real change, Dallas → Fort Wayne |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $61,722 | +2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $74,678 | +2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $89,508 | +2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $106,437 | +2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $125,776 | +2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Fort Wayne, IN | Fort Wayne pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $59,800 | $66,594 (+2.3%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $101,560 | $113,099 (−15.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $75,250 | $83,800 (+1.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $79,630 | $88,678 (−12.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.