City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 18.0% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $118,000 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 $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Youngstown, OH than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Youngstown, OH ($115,711 → $111,138), while prices change by −15.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.3% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $84,774 in Youngstown | $117,960 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.0%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
100 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Youngstown, OH | Real change, Dallas → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $64,448 | +13.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $77,977 | +13.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $93,461 | +13.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $111,138 | +13.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $131,331 | +13.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $72,560 | $85,592 (+31.5%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $107,990 | $127,385 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $73,080 | $86,205 (+4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $78,680 | $92,811 (−8.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.