City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Tampa, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 2.2% higher than in Tampa, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tampa, FL would need about $102,200 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX and $1,696 in Tampa, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Tampa, FL ($115,711 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Tampa, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,866 in Tampa | $102,181 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,696/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $48,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 125.8 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 97.6 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Tampa, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
75 Strong offer
Tampa, FL → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
62 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Tampa, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Tampa, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Tampa, FL | Real change, Dallas → Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $61,722 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $74,678 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $89,508 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $106,437 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $125,776 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Tampa, FL | Tampa pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $133,610 | $118,970 | $121,564 (−9.0%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $130,450 | $133,295 (+0.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $78,990 | $80,712 (−2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $85,470 | $87,334 (−13.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.