Dallas County · Texas
Dallas cost of living (TX)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Dallas costs 3.1% above the national average — all-items price level 103.1, rank 30 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $103,090 here. Housing is the reason, at 117.9.
- All items
- 103.1US average = 100
- Housing
- 117.917.9% above the national average
- Goods
- 102.82.8% above the national average
- Other services
- 99.7in line with the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 102.8 | +2.8% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 117.9 | +17.9% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 90.7 | -9.3% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 99.7 | -0.3% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
Reading the Dallas price level
What the 103.1 figure actually means for a household here.
Dallas prices sit 3.1% above the US average — an all-items parity of 103.1, rank 30 of 94 covered metros. Moderately above average. The median covered metro reads 100.8.
Housing drives it: 117.9, 17.9% above average. Utilities pull the other way at 90.7. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 27.2 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in Dallas do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.
A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $103,090 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $63,985 median household income in Dallas is worth $62,067 in national-average dollars, 21.0% below the $78,538 US median. Local pay does not cover the local price level.
Parities are published for Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.
What your salary is worth in Dallas, TX
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (103.1 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $62,067
- Needed to match US average
- $65,962
- Monthly difference
- $165
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$63,985 median household income in Dallas is worth $62,067 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 103.1.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- Is Dallas expensive?
- Yes — 3.1% above the US average, rank 30 of 94 covered metros. housing is the component furthest from average at 117.9.
- What salary do you need to live in Dallas, TX?
- $103,090 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $63,985, worth $62,067 after adjusting for the 103.1 price level.
- Why is the cost of living high in Dallas?
- Housing at 117.9 versus utilities at 90.7. A 27.2-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.
More Dallas data
Other Dallas datasets on this site.
- Dallas population and income
- Dallas sales tax rate
- Dallas property tax
- Dallas home values and rent
- Dallas crime rates
- Dallas public schools
- Dallas weather normals
- Dallas commute times
- Dallas jobs and wages
Statewide: Texas cities · Texas ZIP codes · Texas sales tax · Texas counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.