Anyone who has ever relocated to another city knows that number crunching before packing up the moving van is the first step. After all knowing how far your paycheck can stretch once you’re in your new city is an important consideration for any relocating family.
If you’re used to affordable housing prices reasonable grocery bills and inexpensive health care you don’t want to be surprised if your new city is much pricier. The good news for relocating families is that the Dallas/Fort Worth area still ranks among one of the most affordable large metropolitan cities to live work play and do business.
Cost of Living in DFW
ACCRA is a national organization dedicated to economic development and policy research, and it published an annual Cost of Living Index that ranks a range of living expenses in major cities. The index measures differences between areas in the cost of consumer goods and services, minus taxes and non-consumer expenditures.
It also measures relative price levels for consumer goods and services in participating areas. The average for a participating place—both metropolitan and non-metro—is 100, and each city’s index is read as a percentage of the average for all places. See the chart below to see how Dallas measures up against other large metro areas, and you’ll see that it’s much less expensive, in just about every category measured, to hang your hat right here.
For example, when comparing the ACCRA Cost of Living Index for the last several years, housing in the DFW area has consistently been one of the most affordable metropolitan markets in the United States With an average 2019 score of 112.8, housing in the Dallas/Fort Worth area just slightly over the United States average of 100.
Whether you’re thinking about moving here, or have just made the move, it’s easy to see that the Dallas/Fort Worth area is a thriving community that measures up not only with its quality of life – but also with its affordability. And that’s good news from any perspective
