City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 7.8% higher than in Dallas, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Dallas, TX would need about $107,800 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,648 in Dallas, TX. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 25% in Dallas, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from Dallas, TX to Seattle, WA ($115,711 → $119,630), while prices change by +7.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,802 in Seattle | $92,763 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
35 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Dallas, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Seattle, WA | Real change, Dallas → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $69,373 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $83,935 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $100,602 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $119,630 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $141,367 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $102,920 | $95,471 (+46.7%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $167,280 | $155,173 (+16.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $99,370 | $92,178 (+11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $128,260 | $118,977 (+17.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.