City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 1.3% higher than in Providence, RI. Someone earning $100,000 in Providence, RI would need about $101,300 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 $1,402 in Providence, RI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 22% in Providence, RI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Providence, RI than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.2% moving from Dallas, TX to Providence, RI ($115,711 → $120,548), while prices change by −1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.5% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,722 in Providence | $101,294 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $53,680 |
| 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 Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Providence, RI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
73 Strong offer
Providence, RI → Dallas, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Providence, RI | Real change, Dallas → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $69,905 | +5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $84,579 | +5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $101,375 | +5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $120,548 | +5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $142,452 | +5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $86,720 | $87,842 (+35.0%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $130,690 | $132,381 (−0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $95,020 | $96,250 (+16.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $99,880 | $101,173 (−0.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.