City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 6.2% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $106,200 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 $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.4% moving from Dallas, TX to Rochester, NY ($115,711 → $107,182), while prices change by −5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.6% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,126 in Rochester | $106,240 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,256/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
88 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Rochester, NY | Real change, Dallas → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $62,155 | −1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $75,202 | −1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $90,135 | −1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $107,182 | −1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $126,657 | −1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $62,840 | $66,761 (+2.6%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $122,770 | $130,431 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $80,890 | $85,938 (+4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $86,570 | $91,972 (−9.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.