City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Roanoke, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 10.1% higher than in Roanoke, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Roanoke, VA would need about $110,100 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 $1,053 in Roanoke, VA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 17% in Roanoke, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Roanoke, VA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Roanoke, VA ($115,711 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.3% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Roanoke, VA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Roanoke, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,812 in Roanoke | $110,118 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,053/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $47,140 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Roanoke, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Roanoke, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Roanoke |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 78.5 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 88.9 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Roanoke, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
100 Strong offer
Roanoke, VA → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
40 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Roanoke, VA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Roanoke, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Roanoke, VA | Real change, Dallas → Roanoke |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $61,722 | +1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $74,678 | +1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $89,508 | +1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $106,437 | +1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $125,776 | +1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Roanoke, VA | Roanoke pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $62,010 | $68,284 (+4.9%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $121,110 | $133,364 (+0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $77,240 | $85,055 (+2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $80,090 | $88,193 (−13.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.