population, among other factors –
your hard-earned dollar stretches much
further here. In fact, you’ll likely pay
less for transportation, utilities, health
care, and other critical goods and
services like groceries (Texas doesn’t tax
unprepared food items) and housing –
and we’ve got the stats to prove it.
ACCRA is a national organization
dedicated to economic development
and policy research, and it published
an annual Cost of Living Index that
ranks a range of living expenses in
major cities. The index measures differences
between areas in the cost of consumer
goods and services, minus taxes and
non-consumer expenditures.
It also measures relative price levels
for consumer goods and services in
participating areas. The average for a
participating place—both metropolitan
and non-metro— is 100, and each
city’s index is read as a percentage of
the average for all places. See the
chart below to see how Dallas measures
up against other large metro areas,
and you’ll see that it’s much less
expensive, in just about every category
measured, to hang your hat right
here.
For example, when comparing the
ACCRA Cost of Living Index for the
last several years, housing in the DFW
area has consistently been one of the
most affordable metropolitan markets
in the U.S. With an average 2012
score of 75. 2, housing in the
Dallas/Fort Worth area is well below
the U.S. average of 100.
Whether you’re thinking about moving
here, or have just made the move, it’s
easy to see that the Dallas/Fort
Worth area is a thriving community
that measures up not only with its
quality of life – but also with its
affordability. And that’s good news
from any perspective.
MOVING FROM HERE...
Phoenix
Detroit
San Francisco
Boston
Denver
Miami
Pittsburgh
Houston
Austin
Seattle
Philadelphia
Atlanta
Baton Rouge
New York City
Los Angeles
Chicago
Las Vegas
Portland
St. Louis
Raleigh
Durham
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
YOU’D NEED TO MAKE...
$59,813
$61,600
$35,476
$42,039
$54,971
$53,893
$60,886
$64,276
$62,265
$49,291
$46, 176
$59,321
$61,666
$26,380
$43,463
$50,322
$57,662
$50,809
$63,358
$61,535
$62,265
