Route comparison
Dallas, TX vs Houston, TX: Cost of Living
Compare the cost of living between Dallas, TX and Houston, TX. See the equivalent salary and median rent powered by BLS Regional Price Parities.
Latest official changes
Data updates affecting this route
These rows are official-source planning signals with data period and last-checked dates. They do not automatically update the current RPP/FMR values on this page until the source dataset is flipped.
Dallas, TX
TX
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 103.5
- Housing RPP
- 116.3
- Goods RPP
- 102.2
- 2-BR median rent
- $1,758/mo
Texas has no state income tax. Property taxes ~1.8-2.2% effective rate.
Houston, TX
TX
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 98.8
- Housing RPP
- 108
- Goods RPP
- 97.9
- 2-BR median rent
- $1,357/mo
Texas has no state income tax. Property taxes ~2% effective rate.
Equivalent salary
Houston, TX is cheaper than Dallas, TX by about 4.5% (RPP 103.5 to 98.8).
$60,000 in Dallas, TX
-> $57,275
in Houston, TX
$100,000 in Dallas, TX
-> $95,459
in Houston, TX
$150,000 in Dallas, TX
-> $143,188
in Houston, TX
This tool provides estimates only. Equivalent-salary figures are derived from BLS Regional Price Parities (RPP) and HUD Fair Market Rents — they are averages, not guarantees. Actual cost of living varies by neighborhood, lifestyle, and individual circumstances. Not financial advice.
Migration signal: Dallas, TX vs Houston, TX
IRS tax-return migration · 2021-2022Dallas, TX
- Net people
- +65,221
- Net rank
- #1 of 65
- Top origin share
- 2%
- Top destination share
- 2%
Largest source: Harris County, TX. Largest destination: Harris County, TX.
Houston, TX
- Net people
- +37,392
- Net rank
- #3 of 65
- Top origin share
- 2%
- Top destination share
- 2%
Largest source: Travis County, TX. Largest destination: Travis County, TX.
Rent delta: Houston, TX is $401/mo lower for HUD FY2024 2-BR FMR than Dallas, TX. Housing RPP moves from 116.3 to 108.
Migration figures are derived from IRS SOI county-to-county migration data for 2021-2022, mapped to metros via Census CBSA delineation. Small county-to-county flows are IRS-suppressed, so per-metro totals are lower bounds. Source: IRS SOI migration data.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Houston, TX cheaper or more expensive than Dallas, TX?
- Houston, TX (RPP 98.8) is cheaper than Dallas, TX (RPP 103.5) by about 4.5%.
- What salary do I need in Houston, TX if I earn $100,000 in Dallas, TX?
- You would need approximately $95,459 in Houston, TX to maintain the same purchasing power as $100,000 in Dallas, TX. Formula: $100,000 x (98.8 / 103.5).
- Which metro had stronger net migration, Dallas, TX or Houston, TX?
- For 2021-2022, Dallas, TX had a net gain of 65,221 people, while Houston, TX had a net gain of 37,392 people. IRS small-flow suppression means these are lower-bound research signals, not complete population-change totals.