City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 1.2% higher than in Portland, ME. Someone earning $100,000 in Portland, ME would need about $101,200 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX and $1,658 in Portland, ME.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,654 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.2% moving from Dallas, TX to Portland, ME ($115,711 → $120,548), while prices change by −1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.4% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,805 in Portland | $101,210 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $56,960 |
| 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 Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Portland, ME
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$5,654/yr.
69 Fair offer
Portland, ME → Dallas, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,654/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Portland, ME | Real change, Dallas → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $69,905 | +5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $84,579 | +5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $101,375 | +5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $120,548 | +5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $142,452 | +5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $76,770 | $77,699 (+19.4%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $128,710 | $130,267 (−2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $79,790 | $80,755 (−2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $88,470 | $89,540 (−11.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.