City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Kansas City, MO
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 Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO 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 $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.5% moving from Dallas, TX to Kansas City, MO ($115,711 → $108,173), while prices change by −10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.1% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Kansas City, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 92.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,769 in Kansas City | $111,397 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,197/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $50,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Kansas City, MO-KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 93.4 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 92.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
100 Strong offer
Kansas City, MO → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Kansas City, MO is in Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Kansas City, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Kansas City, MO | Real change, Dallas → Kansas City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $62,729 | +4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $75,897 | +4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $90,968 | +4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $108,173 | +4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $127,829 | +4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Kansas City, MO | Kansas City pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $61,060 | $68,019 (+4.5%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $124,990 | $139,235 (+4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $80,040 | $89,162 (+7.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $83,040 | $92,504 (−8.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.