Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Pinehurst-Southern Pines

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Neutral — Depends on Priorities
Cost Index: 103.1 → 88.3
Rent Delta: -$573/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 15% lower cost of living
  • + $573/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $14K lower median salary
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More expensive childcare

Moving from Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington to Pinehurst-Southern Pines shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 103.1 to 88.3 (100 = US average), so a Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington salary needs to be multiplied by 0.86 to hold the same purchasing power in Pinehurst-Southern Pines. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,931/month in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington to $1,358/month in Pinehurst-Southern Pines - a lower monthly bill of $573, or $6,876/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 $59,014 in Pinehurst-Southern Pines - a raw gap of $14,462 lower. The Pinehurst-Southern Pines labor market has 36,690 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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines are 395 and 365 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 14.7:1 at origin versus 15.8:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $7,566/year in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington versus $9,487/year in Pinehurst-Southern Pines. Our composite verdict - Neutral — Depends on Priorities - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
Pinehurst-Southern Pines
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 103.1
RPP 88.3
Pinehurst-Southern Pines
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,931/mo
$1,358/mo
Pinehurst-Southern Pines
💼 Wages
$73,476
$59,014
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
🔒 Crime
395 per 100K
365 per 100K
Pinehurst-Southern Pines
🎓 Schools
14.7:1
15.8:1
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
👶 Childcare
$7,566/yr
$9,487/yr
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
🌿 Environment
33822 violations
2788 violations
Pinehurst-Southern Pines

Salary Adjustment Calculator

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

Equivalent salary in Pinehurst-Southern Pines
-

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pinehurst-Southern Pines more expensive than Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Pinehurst-Southern Pines has an RPP of 88.3 compared to Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington's 103.1 (100 = national average). Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Pinehurst-Southern Pines is $1,358/mo vs $1,931/mo in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington.
What are salaries like in Pinehurst-Southern Pines compared to Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
The median salary in Pinehurst-Southern Pines is $59,014 compared to $73,476 in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington. That's a -$14,462 difference.
Is Pinehurst-Southern Pines safer than Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
The violent crime rate near Pinehurst-Southern Pines is 365 per 100K vs 395 per 100K near Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (state-level data). Pinehurst-Southern Pines has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Pinehurst-Southern Pines to match my Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington salary by 0.86. For example, a $75,000 salary in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington would need to be $64,266 in Pinehurst-Southern Pines. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Neutral — Depends on Priorities" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Neutral — Depends on Priorities" means both metros are roughly equivalent across the 7 dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

Explore PlainRelocate

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)