City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Waterbury, CT
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 Waterbury, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Waterbury, CT 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 $1,445 in Waterbury, CT. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 23% in Waterbury, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.4% moving from Dallas, TX to Waterbury, CT ($115,711 → $125,431), while prices change by −3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.0% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Waterbury, CT: 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 | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,787 in Waterbury | $103,319 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Waterbury, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
79 Strong offer
Waterbury, CT → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Dallas → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $72,737 | +12.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $88,005 | +12.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $105,481 | +12.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $125,431 | +12.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $148,222 | +12.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $79,640 | $82,284 (+26.5%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $131,290 | $135,648 (+1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $93,010 | $96,097 (+16.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $101,690 | $105,065 (+3.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.