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Dallas vs Washington: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Dallas is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 6% lower than in Washington, and housing runs 28% lower. Washington pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $71,000 against $51,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Washington ($65,500 against $50,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Dallas runs 5% lower than Washington overall, and housing runs 22% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Washington, you need about $94,500 in Dallas. To keep $100,000 from Dallas, you need about $105,500 in Washington.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $51,500 in Dallas, $71,000 in Washington.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $132,000 in Dallas, $156,500 in Washington.
- Open postings in our data: 5,058 in Dallas from 669 employers, 3,856 in Washington from 540 employers.
- Unemployment: 4.4% in Dallas, 3.8% in Washington (BLS).
Dallas and Washington side by side
| Measure | Dallas | Washington | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 103.1 | 108.9 | Dallas |
| Housing price level | 117.9 | 151.1 | Dallas |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $51,500 | $71,000 | Washington |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $50,000 | $65,500 | Washington |
| Median pay in open postings | $132,000 | $156,500 | Washington |
| Postings that list pay | 26.1% | 61.2% | Washington |
| Open postings in our data | 5,058 | 3,856 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 669 | 540 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 4.4% | 3.8% | Washington |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 28.4% | 37.7% | Dallas |
| Median days a posting has been open | 30 | 37 | Dallas |
| Entry-level share of postings | 13.9% | 8.5% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 5% | 7.3% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | +13.1% | -17.2% | Dallas |
"Edge" shows which area looks better on that measure (lower prices, higher pay, lower unemployment, fewer stale postings); counts and shares have no edge. Within 2% counts as about the same.
Cost of living
Dallas prices sit 103.1 against a US average of 100 and Washington at 108.9. The biggest difference is housing: 117.9 in Dallas against 151.1 in Washington. Utilities are 15% lower in Dallas. The index covers goods and services including rent and home costs, so it measures what a typical household spends, not what your own budget looks like.
| Price level (US = 100) | Dallas | Washington | Dallas vs Washington |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 103.1 | 108.9 | 5% lower |
| Housing | 117.9 | 151.1 | 22% lower |
| Goods | 102.8 | 104.8 | 2% lower |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 106.7 | 15% lower |
| Other services | 99.7 | 102.3 | 3% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Washington to Dallas; the right half moves it the other way. "If only housing moved" uses the housing price level alone, for someone whose biggest cost is rent or a mortgage.
| Salary in Washington | Matching salary in Dallas | If only housing moved | Salary in Dallas | Matching salary in Washington | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $47,500 | $39,000 | $50,000 | $53,000 | $64,000 |
| $75,000 | $71,000 | $58,500 | $75,000 | $79,000 | $96,000 |
| $100,000 | $94,500 | $78,000 | $100,000 | $105,500 | $128,000 |
| $125,000 | $118,500 | $97,500 | $125,000 | $132,000 | $160,500 |
| $150,000 | $142,000 | $117,000 | $150,000 | $158,500 | $192,500 |
| $200,000 | $189,500 | $156,000 | $200,000 | $211,000 | $256,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $45.52 an hour in Dallas for someone earning $100,000 in Washington.
Pay for the same job
Across the 59 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Dallas for 4 and higher in Washington for 55. After local prices are counted, Dallas comes out ahead in 17 and Washington in 42. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $24,200 in Dallas against $46,000 in Washington.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Dallas median | Washington median | Dallas adjusted for prices | Washington adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | $111,000 | $156,500 | $107,700 | $143,700 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,100 | $34,600 | $27,200 | $31,800 |
| Retail Salespersons | $33,400 | $36,600 | $32,400 | $33,600 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $37,600 | $37,900 | $36,500 | $34,800 |
| Software Developers | $133,300 | $154,900 | $129,300 | $142,300 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $45,000 | $46,200 | $43,600 | $42,400 |
| Registered Nurses | $101,400 | $102,700 | $98,400 | $94,300 |
| Cashiers | $29,900 | $35,500 | $29,000 | $32,600 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $38,500 | $42,600 | $37,400 | $39,100 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $26,900 | $38,500 | $26,100 | $35,400 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $83,600 | $104,800 | $81,100 | $96,200 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $34,900 | $37,800 | $33,800 | $34,800 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $24,200 | $46,000 | $23,400 | $42,300 |
| Office Clerks, General | $44,100 | $51,900 | $42,700 | $47,600 |
| Project Management Specialists | $98,900 | $127,000 | $95,900 | $116,700 |
Median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, all employers, May 2025 (BLS). "Adjusted" divides the wage by the area's price level (BEA, US = 100), so dollars are comparable.
Pay employers are offering right now
The wages above are what people earn in jobs they already hold. Open postings show what employers are offering today. In the job families where both areas have at least 15 postings that list pay, the median listed salary is higher in Dallas for 1 of 12 and higher in Washington for 11. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | Dallas median listed pay | Postings | Washington median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $110,500 | 127 | $166,500 | 155 |
| Software developers | $168,000 | 41 | $193,000 | 163 |
| Software engineering | $169,000 | 19 | $156,000 | 135 |
| Security and IT | $154,000 | 26 | $175,000 | 97 |
| Operations and logistics | $122,500 | 44 | $132,000 | 77 |
| Legal and compliance | $152,500 | 53 | $197,500 | 66 |
| Finance and accounting | $137,000 | 37 | $141,000 | 51 |
| Marketing | $150,000 | 23 | $165,000 | 64 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $107,500 | 37 | $155,000 | 36 |
| Product and design | $119,000 | 22 | $164,500 | 38 |
| Data and analytics | $135,000 | 18 | $135,500 | 20 |
| People and recruiting | $112,500 | 17 | $170,000 | 18 |
Only postings that list a salary are counted. Median of the middle of each listed range. Job families need at least 15 such postings in both areas to appear.
Who is hiring
Software & Technology is the largest hiring industry in both areas. The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in Dallas: RaceTrac (273), Shield AI (129), Capital One (127), Floor & Decor (92), McKesson (82).
- Largest posters in Washington: Accenturefederalservices (266), Anduril Industries (184), Leidos (162), AstraZeneca (121), Veterinaryemergencygroupst (76).
Counts are open postings on each employer's own career page in our data; one big employer can shape a local market.
The job market
- Postings have been open a median of 30 days in Dallas and 37 in Washington; 28.4% and 37.7% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 13.9% of postings in Dallas and 8.5% in Washington; senior and above are 39.5% and 45.1%.
- Fully remote roles are 5% of postings in Dallas and 7.3% in Washington.
- Indeed's postings index sits 13.1% above its February 2020 level in Dallas and 17.2% below in Washington.
- 26.1% of postings in Dallas list pay, against 61.2% in Washington.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Dallas) stretches it further: $100,000 in Washington has the buying power of about $94,500 in Dallas.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Washington comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($65,500 against $50,000).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $168,000 in Dallas and $193,000 in Washington, which is $163,000 and $177,500 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (117.9 vs 151.1) matters more than the overall index.
No place is better for everyone. Taxes, commute, schools, climate and your own spending are not in these numbers.
Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Dallas or Washington?
Dallas is cheaper. Overall prices run 6% lower than in Washington, and housing runs 28% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in Dallas to match $100,000 in Washington?
About $94,500 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (103.1 in Dallas, 108.9 in Washington). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Dallas or Washington?
Washington has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $71,000 against $51,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Washington has the higher paycheck power: $65,500 against $50,000 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, Dallas has more: 5,058 against 3,856. This is a sample of employer postings, not a census of every job.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, wages and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and postings from employers' own career pages, collected October 2026. Every figure on this page is in a table or chart above.
More on these places
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: all the data
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: all the data
- Compare them in the interactive tool
- Cost-of-living ranking · Paycheck power ranking
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Updated October 2026. Prices only: taxes and personal spending are not included. Price levels: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024. Wages and unemployment: Bureau of Labor Statistics (wages May 2025). Postings: employers' own career pages, October 2026. Methodology