Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Strongly Favorable
Cost Index: 103.1 → 102.6
Rent Delta: -$121/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $121/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Moving from Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington to Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 103.1 to 102.6 (100 = US average), so a Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington salary needs to be multiplied by 0.99 to hold the same purchasing power in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,931/month in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington to $1,810/month in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington - a lower monthly bill of $121, or $1,452/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $73,476 in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington versus $74,260 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington - a raw gap of $784 higher. The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington labor market has 2,874,190 tracked jobs against 4,019,090 in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington are 395 and 250 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 14.7:1 at origin versus 13.6:1 at destination. Our composite verdict - Strongly Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 103.1
RPP 102.6
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,931/mo
$1,810/mo
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
💼 Wages
$73,476
$74,260
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
🔒 Crime
395 per 100K
250 per 100K
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
🎓 Schools
14.7:1
13.6:1
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
👶 Childcare
$7,566/yr
N/A
Tie
🌿 Environment
33822 violations
5198 violations
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington to see what you'd need to earn in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington more expensive than Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington has an RPP of 102.6 compared to Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington's 103.1 (100 = national average). Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington is $1,810/mo vs $1,931/mo in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington.
What are salaries like in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington compared to Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
The median salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington is $74,260 compared to $73,476 in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington. That's a +$784 difference.
Is Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington safer than Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
The violent crime rate near Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington is 250 per 100K vs 395 per 100K near Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (state-level data). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington to match my Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington salary by 0.99. For example, a $75,000 salary in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington would need to be $74,610 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Strongly Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Strongly Favorable" means the destination clearly wins on most dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)