Cost of living in Dallas research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Dallas is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Texas, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Dallas is 96, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Dallas is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Dallas ranks as the #281 cheapest in Texas out of 405.
Dallas ranks as the #2,601 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Dallas is $230,000.
The median income in Dallas is $58,231.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Dallas has an overall cost of living index of 96, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Texas, Dallas has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Texas's index of 92.
The standard of living in Dallas ranks as #281 most affordable out of the 405 places we measured in Texas. By definition, that implies Dallas ranks as the #124 most expensive place in the Lone Star State.
For more reading on life in Dallas, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Dallas. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Dallas is 108.
The Groceries index in Dallas is 101.
The Health index in Dallas is 116.
The Housing index in Dallas is 81.
The Transportation index in Dallas is 94.
The Utilities index in Dallas is 107.
Living Expense | Dallas | Texas | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 96 | 92 | 100 | |
Services | 108 | 96 | 100 | |
Groceries | 101 | 93 | 100 | |
Health | 116 | 93 | 100 | |
Housing | 81 | 84 | 100 | |
Transportation | 94 | 92 | 100 | |
Utilities | 107 | 104 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Texas, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Dallas is $230,000.
The Median Rent in Dallas is $1,178.
The Median Income in Dallas is $58,231.
The Home Value To Income in Dallas is 3.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Dallas is 0.24x.
Statistic | Dallas | Texas | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $230,000 | $202,600 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,178 | $1,146 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $58,231 | $67,321 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.9x | 3.0x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Dallas. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Plano, TX has a cost of living index of 114, 1.2x Dallas.
Garland, TX has a cost of living index of 97, 1.0x Dallas.
Mesquite, TX has a cost of living index of 93, 1.0x Dallas.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Dallas |
---|---|---|---|
Plano, TX | 282,181 | 114 | 1.2x |
Garland, TX | 245,075 | 97 | 1.0x |
Mesquite, TX | 149,848 | 93 | 1.0x |
Carrollton, TX | 131,388 | 105 | 1.1x |
Richardson, TX | 115,904 | 110 | 1.1x |
Rowlett, TX | 62,606 | 105 | 1.1x |
Euless, TX | 60,134 | 95 | 1.0x |
Coppell, TX | 42,420 | 121 | 1.3x |
Farmers Branch, TX | 36,091 | 100 | 1.0x |
Balch Springs, TX | 27,369 | 89 | 0.9x |