Moving from Dubuque to Dallas
You'd keep $48 more a month in Dallas
+$576 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Dubuque leftover
$2,985
a month after tax and rent
Dallas leftover
$3,033
+$48 vs Dubuque
| Per month | Dubuque | Dallas | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,208 | $7,957 | +$749 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,666 | $1,660 | −$6 |
| Take-home pay | $5,542 | $6,297 | +$755 |
| Rent | $802 | $1,263 | +$461 |
| Getting around | $496 | $580 | +$84 |
| Groceries | $347 | $392 | +$45 |
| Healthcare | $391 | $441 | +$50 |
| Utilities | $217 | $245 | +$28 |
| Everything else | $304 | $343 | +$39 |
| Left over | $2,985 | $3,033 | +$48 |
To break even in Dallas, you'd need to earn
$94,500
Household gross, versus $86,500 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Dubuque does now.
The tax difference alone
+$2,732
A year, in state and local income tax. Texas has no wage income tax.
More about Dallas
Dubuque, IA in full
A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $955 and 204 sunny days; commutes average 17 minutes.
Dallas, TX in full
No income tax, endless new construction, and a 1.5% property tax bill.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Dallas on Dallas wages.
Dallas → Dubuque →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Dallas than Dubuque?
A one-bedroom is about $802 in Dubuque versus $1,263 in Dallas. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $48 a month higher in Dallas. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Dallas have state income tax?
Dallas is in Texas, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Dubuque to Dallas?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Texas tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.