Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Favorable
Cost Index: 113.6 → 103.1
Rent Delta: -$670/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 10% lower cost of living
  • + $670/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + More affordable childcare

Cons of Moving

  • - $9K lower median salary
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim to Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 113.6 to 103.1 (100 = US average), so a Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim salary needs to be multiplied by 0.91 to hold the same purchasing power in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $2,601/month in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim to $1,931/month in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington - a lower monthly bill of $670, or $8,040/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 $82,276 in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim versus $73,476 in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington - a raw gap of $8,800 lower. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington labor market has 4,019,090 tracked jobs against 6,167,970 in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington are 477 and 395 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 21.5:1 at origin versus 14.7:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $17,920/year in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim versus $7,566/year in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington. Our composite verdict - Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 113.6
RPP 103.1
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$2,601/mo
$1,931/mo
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
💼 Wages
$82,276
$73,476
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
🔒 Crime
477 per 100K
395 per 100K
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
🎓 Schools
21.5:1
14.7:1
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
👶 Childcare
$17,920/yr
$7,566/yr
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
🌿 Environment
17550 violations
33822 violations
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim to see what you'd need to earn in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington more expensive than Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington has an RPP of 103.1 compared to Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim's 113.6 (100 = national average). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is $1,931/mo vs $2,601/mo in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim.
What are salaries like in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington compared to Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
The median salary in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is $73,476 compared to $82,276 in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim. That's a -$8,800 difference.
Is Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington safer than Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
The violent crime rate near Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is 395 per 100K vs 477 per 100K near Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (state-level data). Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington to match my Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim salary by 0.91. For example, a $75,000 salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim would need to be $68,082 in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Favorable" means the destination edges ahead on balance. 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)