City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Huntsville, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 10.8% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $110,800 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 $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Dallas, TX to Huntsville, AL ($115,711 → $110,847), while prices change by −9.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.1% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Huntsville, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,282 in Huntsville | $110,764 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,136/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $51,740 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Huntsville, AL MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Huntsville, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Huntsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 77.9 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 83.9 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
Huntsville, AL → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Huntsville, AL is in Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Huntsville, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Huntsville, AL | Real change, Dallas → Huntsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $64,279 | +6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $77,772 | +6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $93,216 | +6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $110,847 | +6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $130,987 | +6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Huntsville, AL | Huntsville pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $62,250 | $68,950 (+6.0%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $128,080 | $141,866 (+6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $79,220 | $87,747 (+6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $77,090 | $85,388 (−15.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.