Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

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

Pros of Moving

  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + More affordable childcare

Cons of Moving

  • - $6K lower median salary
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro to Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 105.4 to 103.1 (100 = US average), so a Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro salary needs to be multiplied by 0.98 to hold the same purchasing power in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,922/month in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro to $1,931/month in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington - a higher 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 $79,572 in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro versus $73,476 in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington - a raw gap of $6,096 lower. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington labor market has 4,019,090 tracked jobs against 1,180,420 in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington are 335 and 395 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 17.6:1 at origin versus 14.7:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $12,639/year in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro versus $7,566/year in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington. 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
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 105.4
RPP 103.1
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,922/mo
$1,931/mo
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
💼 Wages
$79,572
$73,476
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
🔒 Crime
335 per 100K
395 per 100K
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
🎓 Schools
17.6:1
14.7:1
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
👶 Childcare
$12,639/yr
$7,566/yr
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
🌿 Environment
2578 violations
33822 violations
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington has an RPP of 103.1 compared to Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro's 105.4 (100 = national average). Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is $1,931/mo vs $1,922/mo in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro.
What are salaries like in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington compared to Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The median salary in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is $73,476 compared to $79,572 in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro. That's a -$6,096 difference.
Is Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington safer than Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The violent crime rate near Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is 395 per 100K vs 335 per 100K near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro (state-level data). Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington to match my Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro salary by 0.98. For example, a $75,000 salary in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro would need to be $73,342 in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington. 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)