City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Dallas, TX (103.1) and Modesto, CA (104.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Dallas, TX goes as far as $101,000 in Modesto, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Modesto, CA ($115,711 → $133,060), while prices change by +1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.9% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,987 in Modesto | $99,022 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,356/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% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Modesto, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
66 Fair offer
Modesto, CA → Dallas, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Modesto, CA | Real change, Dallas → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $77,161 | +13.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $93,358 | +13.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $111,896 | +13.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $133,060 | +13.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $157,236 | +13.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $101,640 | $100,646 (+54.7%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $119,770 | $118,599 (−11.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $83,560 | $82,743 (+0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $132,590 | $131,293 (+29.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.