Austin, TX vs Dallas, TX: sales tax compared
Quick answer
Both metros apply the same combined sales tax rate of 8.25%, so a purchase costs the same at the register in either place — but the jurisdictions collecting that money differ, as the stacks below show.
- Rate gap
- 0%Percentage points, combined rate
- Extra tax on $1,000
- $0.00Paid in Dallas
- Extra tax on $25,000
- $0.00Vehicle-sized purchase
Austin, TX
Travis County
8.25%
Combined rate · ranked #39 of 94 covered metros
| Level | Jurisdiction | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| state | Texas state | 6.25% |
| city | City of Austin | 1% |
| special district | Capital Metro | 1% |
- Population
- 979,882
- Median household income
- $91,461
Austin's Project Connect transit expansion is funded by property tax, not sales tax, because the city was already at the 8.25% cap.
Dallas, TX
Dallas County
8.25%
Combined rate · ranked #37 of 94 covered metros
| Level | Jurisdiction | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| state | Texas state | 6.25% |
| city | City of Dallas | 1% |
| special district | Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) | 1% |
- Population
- 1,302,868
- Median household income
- $63,985
Dallas is at the Texas 8.25% ceiling; suburbs outside the DART service area often charge the same total but route the second penny to a local development corporation instead.
How the difference is calculated
Same arithmetic the calculator on every page runs.
Each combined rate is the sum of its listed state, county, city and special-district components — no rounding is applied before the total. The dollar gap is the rate difference (0%) applied to the pre-tax amount: 0% of $1,000 is $0.00. Neither figure includes product-specific exemptions; groceries, clothing and digital goods can be taxed at a different rate or not at all, which is covered on each state's rules page.
Questions people ask
Direct answers to the questions this comparison raises.
Which has a higher sales tax rate, Austin or Dallas?
Neither — both apply a combined rate of 8.25%.
How much more sales tax would I pay in Dallas on a $1,000 purchase?
Nothing — the two combined rates are identical, so the tax on a $1,000 purchase is the same.
Why do Austin and Dallas have different rates?
The state share is 6.25% in TX and 6.25% in TX. The rest comes from county, city and special-district increments stacked on top, which are set locally and listed in full on this page.
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