City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Lakeland, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 6.1% higher than in Lakeland, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Lakeland, FL would need about $106,100 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 $1,230 in Lakeland, FL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 19% in Lakeland, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Lakeland, FL ($115,711 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.4% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Lakeland, FL: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Lakeland, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,229 in Lakeland | $106,124 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,230/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $46,140 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Lakeland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 95.9 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 86.9 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Lakeland, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
88 Strong offer
Lakeland, FL → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Lakeland, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Lakeland, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Lakeland, FL | Real change, Dallas → Lakeland |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Lakeland, FL | Lakeland pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $50,420 | $53,508 (−17.8%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $122,200 | $129,684 (−2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $76,820 | $81,525 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $84,030 | $89,176 (−12.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.