City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Dallas, TX (103.1) and Salem, OR (103.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Dallas, TX goes as far as $100,500 in Salem, OR.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $7,920 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.9% moving from Dallas, TX to Salem, OR ($115,711 → $114,684), while prices change by +0.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,542 in Salem | $99,461 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Salem, OR
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$7,920/yr.
67 Fair offer
Salem, OR → Dallas, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$7,920/yr.
70 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Salem, OR | Real change, Dallas → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $66,505 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $80,465 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $96,443 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $114,684 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $135,522 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $74,810 | $74,407 (+14.3%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $131,620 | $130,910 (−1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $87,480 | $87,008 (+5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $131,750 | $131,039 (+29.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.