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CityLedger

Dallas vs Orlando

Metro-area medians — Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metro Area vs Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Dallas comes out ahead, winning 7 of the 8 clearly-decided measures.

Dallas and Orlando cost about the same to live in, but Dallas households earn about 14% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Dallas.

Their widest everyday difference: Orlando has cleaner air on a typical day — a median AQI of 44 versus 59.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Dallas, TX
$61,314
take-home / yr · 18% to tax
$59,476
real value after local prices
Orlando, FL
$61,314
take-home / yr · 18% to tax
$60,456
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Orlando leaves you about $981/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure
Dallas
Orlando
Livability (CityLedger)
61/100
47/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
103.1
101.4
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$89,953
$79,911
Median household income
$92,733
$81,044
Median rent
$1,718/mo
$1,877/mo
Median home value
$389,500
$409,400
Unemployment
4.5%
4.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher
41%
38.5%
Average commute
28.8 min
29 min
Air quality (median AQI)
59
44
Avg temperature
67°F
73°F

Choose Dallas for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
  • + Median household income
  • + Median rent
  • + Median home value
  • + Unemployment
  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
Full Dallas profile →

Choose Orlando for

  • + Air quality (median AQI)
Full Orlando profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Dallas and Orlando on cost, income, size, and education.

Dallas vs Philadelphia→Dallas vs Phoenix→Dallas vs Chicago→Orlando vs Tampa→Orlando vs Phoenix→Orlando vs Jacksonville→

Dallas vs Orlando — frequently asked

Is Dallas cheaper than Orlando?
They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Dallas and Orlando metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Dallas or Orlando?
Dallas has the higher median household income — $92,733 versus $81,044 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 14% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Dallas or Orlando?
A paycheck stretches further in Dallas. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $89,953 there versus $79,911 in Orlando.
Which has cheaper rent, Dallas or Orlando?
Dallas has cheaper rent — a median of $1,718/mo versus $1,877/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).