City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Spartanburg, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 13.2% higher than in Spartanburg, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Spartanburg, SC would need about $113,200 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 $1,083 in Spartanburg, SC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 17% in Spartanburg, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Spartanburg, SC than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Spartanburg, SC ($115,711 → $106,437), while prices change by −11.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.1% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Spartanburg, SC: price level 91.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Spartanburg, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,322 in Spartanburg | $113,222 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,083/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $47,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Spartanburg, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 68.0 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Spartanburg, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
100 Strong offer
Spartanburg, SC → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Spartanburg, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Spartanburg, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Spartanburg, SC | Real change, Dallas → Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $61,722 | +4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $74,678 | +4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $89,508 | +4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $106,437 | +4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $125,776 | +4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $60,990 | $69,054 (+6.1%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $114,460 | $129,594 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $77,080 | $87,272 (+5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $82,360 | $93,250 (−8.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.