City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 3.3% higher than in Visalia, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Visalia, CA would need about $103,300 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 $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.6% moving from Dallas, TX to Visalia, CA ($115,711 → $106,973), while prices change by −3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.5% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,833 in Visalia | $103,271 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Visalia, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
79 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Visalia, CA | Real change, Dallas → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $62,033 | −4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $75,055 | −4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $89,959 | −4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $106,973 | −4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $126,410 | −4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $98,430 | $101,649 (+56.2%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $126,170 | $130,297 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $79,400 | $81,997 (−0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $125,180 | $129,274 (+27.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.