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 2016 score of 96. 4,
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.
FROM ONE PAYCHECK TO THE NEXT
Want to know how living in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex compares to
other cities? Assuming a $60,000 salary in the city you’re moving from and
that you’d own a house here, we used a salary/cost of living calculator to
help figure out the rest.
If you made $60,000 in Detroit, for example, your salary could increase
to $60,502 in Dallas – and you’d still maintain the same standard of living.
See the table below for the results from a sampling of other cities.
Moving From Here… You’d Need to Make…
Phoenix $60,439
Detroit $60,502
San Francisco $33, 108
Boston $40,561
Denver $52,919
Miami $51,551
Pittsburgh $58,483
Houston $59,081
Austin $60,565
Seattle $41,852
Philadelphia $48,361
Atlanta $57,610
Baton Rouge $62,597
New York City $33,356
Los Angeles $41,582
Chicago $49,776
Las Vegas $53,407
Portland $45,047
St. Louis $62, 127
Raleigh $63,560
Durham $63,352
