City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Manchester, NH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 2.5% higher than in Dallas, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Dallas, TX would need about $102,500 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,552 in Manchester, NH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 24% in Manchester, NH.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.2% moving from Dallas, TX to Manchester, NH ($115,711 → $120,548), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.6% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Manchester, NH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 105.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,490 in Manchester | $97,570 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,552/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (NH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $56,530 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Manchester-Nashua, NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 134.2 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 97.7 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 133.5 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 103.7 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 105.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Manchester, NH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
61 Fair offer
Manchester, NH → Dallas, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Manchester, NH is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Manchester, NH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Manchester, NH | Real change, Dallas → Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $69,905 | +1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $84,579 | +1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $101,375 | +1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $120,548 | +1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $142,452 | +1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Manchester, NH | Manchester pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $73,380 | $71,597 (+10.0%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $162,090 | $158,152 (+18.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $83,660 | $81,627 (−1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $98,600 | $96,204 (−5.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.