Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Neutral — Depends on Priorities
Cost Index: 103.1 → 105.4
Rent Delta: -$9/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $6K higher median salary
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More expensive childcare

Moving from Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington to Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 103.1 to 105.4 (100 = US average), so a Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington salary needs to be multiplied by 1.02 to hold the same purchasing power in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,931/month in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington to $1,922/month in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro - a lower monthly bill of $9, or $108/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 $79,572 in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro - a raw gap of $6,096 higher. The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro labor market has 1,180,420 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro are 395 and 335 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 14.7:1 at origin versus 17.6:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $7,566/year in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington versus $12,639/year in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro. 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
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 103.1
RPP 105.4
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,931/mo
$1,922/mo
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
💼 Wages
$73,476
$79,572
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
🔒 Crime
395 per 100K
335 per 100K
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
🎓 Schools
14.7:1
17.6:1
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
👶 Childcare
$7,566/yr
$12,639/yr
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
🌿 Environment
33822 violations
2578 violations
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro

Salary Adjustment Calculator

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

Equivalent salary in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro more expensive than Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has an RPP of 105.4 compared to Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington's 103.1 (100 = national average). Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro is $1,922/mo vs $1,931/mo in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington.
What are salaries like in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compared to Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
The median salary in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro is $79,572 compared to $73,476 in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington. That's a +$6,096 difference.
Is Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro safer than Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
The violent crime rate near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro is 335 per 100K vs 395 per 100K near Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (state-level data). Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro to match my Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington salary by 1.02. For example, a $75,000 salary in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington would need to be $76,696 in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro. 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.

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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)