City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Huntington, WV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 16.6% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $116,600 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 $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,885 a year higher in Huntington, WV than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Huntington, WV ($115,711 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.2% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Huntington, WV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 88.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,772 in Huntington | $116,589 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $853/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,295 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,885 (WV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $44,600 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Huntington |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 51.3 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 87.9 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 88.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,885/yr.
100 Strong offer
Huntington, WV → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,885/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Huntington, WV is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Huntington, WV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Huntington, WV | Real change, Dallas → Huntington |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $61,722 | +7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $74,678 | +7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $89,508 | +7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $106,437 | +7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $125,776 | +7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Huntington, WV | Huntington pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $57,450 | $66,980 (+2.9%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $110,780 | $129,157 (−3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $70,840 | $82,591 (−0.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $81,010 | $94,448 (−6.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.