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Dallas vs Charlotte

Dallas, TX  ·  Charlotte, NC

⚖️

Dallas and Charlotte have similar costs of living.

Home Price

Dallas: $370,000

Charlotte: $365,000

Monthly Rent

Dallas: $1,275/mo

Charlotte: $1,595/mo

COL Index

Dallas: 105

Charlotte: 104

Median Income

Dallas: $69,400

Charlotte: $68,600

Side-by-Side Comparison

Metric
Dallas
Charlotte
Winner
🏠

Median Home Price

$370,000
$365,000
Charlotte
🏢

Monthly Rent (Median)

$1,275/mo
$1,595/mo
Dallas
💰

Median Household Income

$69,400
$68,600
Dallas
📋

Property Tax Rate

1.8%
0.79%
Charlotte
📊

Cost of Living Index

100 = national average

105
104
Tied
🚗

Avg. Commute

28 min
27 min
Charlotte
📈

Unemployment Rate

3.8%
3.8%
Tied
👥

Median Age

34.8 yrs
34.8 yrs
Tied

What This Means For You

💵

Buying Power

A $100,000 salary in Dallas has the same purchasing power as $99,048 in Charlotte — based on each city's cost of living index.

🏠

Housing

Homes in Charlotte cost 1% more (-$5,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.

🏢

Renting

Renting in Dallas saves you $320/month — $3,840 per year. Median rent: $1,275/mo in Dallas vs $1,595/mo in Charlotte.

📋

Property Taxes

On a median-priced home, Dallas owners pay roughly $6,660/year in property taxes vs $2,884/year in Charlotte. That's a $3,776 annual difference.

💼

Local Earnings

Median household income is $69,400 in Dallas and $68,600 in Charlotte. Incomes are similar, so cost of living differences matter more.

🚗

Daily Commute

Average commute is 28 minutes in Dallas vs 27 minutes in Charlotte. Commute times are nearly identical.

Salary Equivalence

To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Dallas to Charlotte, here's the salary you'd need:

Salary in DallasEquivalent in CharlotteDifference
$50,000$49,524-$476
$75,000$74,286-$714
$100,000$99,048-$952
$150,000$148,571-$1,429
$200,000$198,095-$1,905

* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.

Run the Numbers

Related Comparisons

Dallas vs Charlotte: Common Questions

Is Dallas or Charlotte cheaper to live in?

Based on cost of living indices, Charlotte is cheaper overall. Dallas has a COL index of 105 while Charlotte scores 104 (national average = 100).

How do home prices compare between Dallas and Charlotte?

The median home price in Dallas is $370,000 vs $365,000 in Charlotte — a difference of $5,000 (1%).

What salary do I need in Charlotte to match my Dallas income?

Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Dallas is equivalent to $99,048 in Charlotte in terms of purchasing power.

Which city has lower property taxes?

Charlotte has a lower property tax rate (0.79% vs 1.8%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $2,884/year vs $6,660/year.

Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.