Relocation: Dallas-Fort Worth, TX to Chicago Metro, IL-IN
Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology
Income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents and EPI living costs for a move from Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
Interactive Purchasing Power Equivalency Workbench
Adjust your current salary at origin to dynamically compute the statutory tax burden, housing costs, and discretionary cash in both markets.
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Itemized Cost of Living Expenditure Arbitrage
Category-by-category breakdown of monthly baseline consumption between origin and destination.
| Expenditure Category | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (Monthly) | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (Monthly) | Monthly Delta ($) | Difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (1BR Fair Market Rent) | $1,536 | $1,780 | +$244 | +15.9% |
| Food & Groceries | $342 | $385 | +$43 | +12.6% |
| Transportation | $1,011 | $947 | -$64 | -6.3% |
| Healthcare | $459 | $416 | -$43 | -9.4% |
| Other Necessities | $582 | $572 | -$10 | -1.7% |
| Total Taxes (Federal, State, Local, FICA) | $1,735 | $2,135 | +$400 | +23.1% |
HUD Fair Market Rent Differential
EPI Living Wage Benchmark Comparison
Top Local Occupations Wage Parity
BLS median wage comparisons across benchmark roles between both metropolitan labor markets.
| Occupation Title | Industry Sector | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Median | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin Median | Nominal Wage Delta | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $111,010 | $109,390 | -$1,620 (-1.5%) | View Dossier |
| Registered Nurse (RN)Healthcare | Healthcare | $101,420 | $100,490 | -$930 (-0.9%) | View Dossier |
| Software EngineerTechnology | Technology | $133,290 | $134,380 | +$1,090 (+0.8%) | View Dossier |
| Accountant & AuditorFinance | Finance | $82,620 | $82,360 | -$260 (-0.3%) | View Dossier |
| Financial ManagerFinance | Finance | $169,200 | $168,810 | -$390 (-0.2%) | View Dossier |
| Project Management SpecialistBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $98,900 | $105,320 | +$6,420 (+6.5%) | View Dossier |
| Computer and Information Systems ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $173,810 | $173,760 | -$50 (-0.0%) | View Dossier |
| Management AnalystBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $102,860 | $105,090 | +$2,230 (+2.2%) | View Dossier |
| Sales ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $144,290 | $158,690 | +$14,400 (+10.0%) | View Dossier |
| Quality Control InspectorIndustrial Manufacturing | Industrial Manufacturing | $46,210 | $48,230 | +$2,020 (+4.4%) | View Dossier |
| ElectricianSkilled Trades | Skilled Trades | $59,010 | $102,350 | +$43,340 (+73.4%) | View Dossier |
| Medical and Health Services ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $121,640 | $123,090 | +$1,450 (+1.2%) | View Dossier |
Major US Inter-Metro Relocation Corridors
Empirical cost differentials and statutory tax savings across high-volume migration routes.
On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $14,388 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $6,211 less tax and $17,676 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $4,805 less tax and $2,928 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $1,729 less tax and $19,884 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $4,113 less tax and $10,908 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $3,761 more tax and $4,188 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $1,299 less tax and $11,592 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $7,296 less 1BR rent a year
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Relocation FAQs
About $102,300. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (123.0 in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, 125.8 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: State Paychecks, Rents & Reciprocal Corridor
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX to Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 2026 federal, state & local income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents & EPI living costs compared. Official 2026 economic data for Relocation: Dallas-Fort Worth, TX to Chicago Metro, IL-IN compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.
Quick answers
About $102,300. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (123.0 in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, 125.8 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
EPI's family budgets for a single adult put overall living costs 2.3% higher in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN than in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX. The budgets cover housing, food, transportation, health care and other necessities.