City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Ocala, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 8.2% higher than in Ocala, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Ocala, FL would need about $108,200 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,172 in Ocala, FL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 18% in Ocala, FL.
- 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 −8.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Ocala, FL ($115,711 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.4% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Ocala, FL: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Ocala, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 95.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,379 in Ocala | $108,249 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,172/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $43,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Ocala, FL MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Ocala, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Ocala |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 86.2 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 87.1 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 95.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Ocala, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
95 Strong offer
Ocala, FL → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
45 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Ocala, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Ocala, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Ocala, FL | Real change, Dallas → Ocala |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $61,722 | −0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $74,678 | −0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $89,508 | −0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $106,437 | −0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $125,776 | −0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Ocala, FL | Ocala pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $57,540 | $62,287 (−4.3%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $112,780 | $122,083 (−8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $74,370 | $80,505 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $79,230 | $85,766 (−15.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.