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Dallas vs Fort Worth

Dallas, TX  ·  Fort Worth, TX

⚖️

Fort Worth is 6% cheaper than Dallas overall.

Home Price

Dallas: $370,000

Fort: $330,000

Monthly Rent

Dallas: $1,275/mo

Fort: $1,354/mo

COL Index

Dallas: 105

Fort: 99

Median Income

Dallas: $69,400

Fort: $66,200

Side-by-Side Comparison

Metric
Dallas
Fort Worth
Winner
🏠

Median Home Price

$370,000
$330,000
Fort Worth
🏢

Monthly Rent (Median)

$1,275/mo
$1,354/mo
Dallas
💰

Median Household Income

$69,400
$66,200
Dallas
📋

Property Tax Rate

1.8%
1.8%
Tied
📊

Cost of Living Index

100 = national average

105
99
Fort Worth
🚗

Avg. Commute

28 min
27 min
Fort Worth
📈

Unemployment Rate

3.8%
3.9%
Dallas
👥

Median Age

34.8 yrs
33.9 yrs
Dallas

What This Means For You

💵

Buying Power

A $100,000 salary in Dallas has the same purchasing power as $94,286 in Fort Worth — based on each city's cost of living index.

🏠

Housing

Homes in Fort Worth cost 11% more (-$40,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.

🏢

Renting

Renting in Dallas saves you $79/month — $948 per year. Median rent: $1,275/mo in Dallas vs $1,354/mo in Fort Worth.

📋

Property Taxes

On a median-priced home, Dallas owners pay roughly $6,660/year in property taxes vs $5,940/year in Fort Worth. Rates are comparable.

💼

Local Earnings

Median household income is $69,400 in Dallas and $66,200 in Fort Worth. Incomes are similar, so cost of living differences matter more.

🚗

Daily Commute

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

Salary Equivalence

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

Salary in DallasEquivalent in Fort WorthDifference
$50,000$47,143-$2,857
$75,000$70,714-$4,286
$100,000$94,286-$5,714
$150,000$141,429-$8,571
$200,000$188,571-$11,429

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

Run the Numbers

Related Comparisons

Dallas vs Fort Worth: Common Questions

Is Dallas or Fort Worth cheaper to live in?

Based on cost of living indices, Fort Worth is cheaper overall. Dallas has a COL index of 105 while Fort Worth scores 99 (national average = 100).

How do home prices compare between Dallas and Fort Worth?

The median home price in Dallas is $370,000 vs $330,000 in Fort Worth — a difference of $40,000 (11%).

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

Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Dallas is equivalent to $94,286 in Fort Worth in terms of purchasing power.

Which city has lower property taxes?

Fort Worth has a lower property tax rate (1.8% vs 1.8%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $5,940/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.