City comparison
Dallas, TX vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 9.2% higher than in Dallas, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Dallas, TX would need about $109,200 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,648 in Dallas, TX. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 25% in Dallas, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in New York, NY than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.4% moving from Dallas, TX to New York, NY ($115,711 → $125,431), while prices change by +9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,189 in New York | $91,584 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
16 Weak offer
New York, NY → Dallas, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | New York, NY | Real change, Dallas → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $72,737 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $88,005 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $105,481 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $125,431 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $148,222 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | New York, NY | New York pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $96,900 | $88,745 (+36.4%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $166,830 | $152,790 (+14.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $105,650 | $96,759 (+17.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $119,720 | $109,645 (+8.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.