City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Hartford, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Dallas, TX (103.1) and Hartford, CT (102.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Dallas, TX goes as far as $99,700 in Hartford, CT.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,477 in Hartford, CT. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 24% in Hartford, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Hartford, CT than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.8% moving from Dallas, TX to Hartford, CT ($115,711 → $120,094), while prices change by −0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.1% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Hartford, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 102.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,666 in Hartford | $100,335 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,477/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $59,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Hartford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 110.2 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 144.9 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 102.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Hartford, CT
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
70 Fair offer
Hartford, CT → Dallas, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Hartford, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Hartford, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Hartford, CT | Real change, Dallas → Hartford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $69,642 | +4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $84,260 | +4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $100,992 | +4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $120,094 | +4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $141,915 | +4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Hartford, CT | Hartford pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $79,800 | $80,067 (+23.0%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $132,520 | $132,964 (−0.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $95,940 | $96,261 (+16.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $101,470 | $101,810 (+0.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.