Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 102.6 → 103.1
Rent Delta: +$121/mo

Cons of Moving

  • - $121/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington to Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 102.6 to 103.1 (100 = US average), so a Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington salary needs to be multiplied by 1.01 to hold the same purchasing power in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,810/month in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington to $1,931/month in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington - a higher 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 $74,260 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington versus $73,476 in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington - a raw gap of $784 lower. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington labor market has 4,019,090 tracked jobs against 2,874,190 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington are 250 and 395 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 13.6:1 at origin versus 14.7:1 at destination. Our composite verdict - Unfavorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

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

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington has an RPP of 103.1 compared to Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington's 102.6 (100 = national average). Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is $1,931/mo vs $1,810/mo in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington.
What are salaries like in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington compared to Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
The median salary in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is $73,476 compared to $74,260 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington. That's a -$784 difference.
Is Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington safer than Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
The violent crime rate near Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is 395 per 100K vs 250 per 100K near Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (state-level data). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington to match my Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington salary by 1.01. For example, a $75,000 salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington would need to be $75,392 in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Unfavorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Unfavorable" means the origin 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)