City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Miami, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 10.7% higher than in Dallas, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Dallas, TX would need about $110,700 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,995 a month in Miami, FL versus $1,648 in Dallas, TX. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL and 25% in Dallas, TX.
- 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 −2.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Miami, FL ($115,711 → $113,356), while prices change by +10.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.5% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Miami, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 114.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,733 in Miami | $90,307 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,995/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% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $48,640 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 155.6 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 103.6 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 97.2 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 109.1 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 114.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.7%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
31 Weak offer
Miami, FL → Dallas, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Miami, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Miami, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Miami, FL | Real change, Dallas → Miami |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $65,735 | −11.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $79,533 | −11.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $95,326 | −11.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $113,356 | −11.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $133,953 | −11.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Miami, FL | Miami pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $58,300 | $52,649 (−19.1%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $132,650 | $119,792 (−10.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $80,920 | $73,076 (−11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $91,380 | $82,523 (−18.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.