City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 10.2% higher than in Dallas, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Dallas, TX would need about $110,200 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,648 in Dallas, TX. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 25% in Dallas, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.2% moving from Dallas, TX to Los Angeles, CA ($115,711 → $124,085), while prices change by +10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,162 in Los Angeles | $90,775 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $2,085/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
27 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Dallas, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Dallas → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $71,957 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $87,061 | −2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $104,349 | −2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $124,085 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $146,632 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $101,860 | $92,464 (+42.1%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $160,920 | $146,076 (+9.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $94,360 | $85,656 (+3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $135,560 | $123,055 (+21.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.