Indianapolis, IN vs Dallas, TX
Moving from Indianapolis to Dallas? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($295,921 → $366,823 median home) and taxes.
Indianapolis vs Dallas at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Indianapolis, IN, you'd need about $97,775 in Dallas, TX (−$2,225).
Livability — Indianapolis, IN: 71 · Dallas, TX: 67 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 3,211 sqft in Indianapolis vs 2,862 sqft in Dallas ($156 vs $175 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Indianapolis, IN | Dallas, TX | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $18,636 | $20,136 | +$1,500 |
| Groceries | $4,740 | $5,182 | +$442 |
| Transportation | $3,250 | $3,675 | +$425 |
| Utilities | $4,992 | $5,064 | +$72 |
| Insurance | $180 | $180 | +$0 |
| Taxes | $7,470 | $2,870 | −$4,600 |
| Total | $39,268 | $37,107 | −$2,161 |
Effective state & local tax rate on $100,000 — Indianapolis, IN: 7.5% · Dallas, TX: 2.9% (income + local + sales + property tax where applicable ÷ income)
Assumptions: 500 gal gasoline/yr · $5000 base annual grocery · 35% of income sales-taxable. Renter: housing = median rent, renter's insurance, no property tax.
Side by side
| Metric | Indianapolis, IN | Dallas, TX |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 94.7 | 102.5 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.28% | 4.62% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 6.1% | 8.0% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 55 | 59 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.39 | $5.83 |
| Median home price | $295,921 | $366,823 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.0× | 4.4× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 1.3% | -3.3% |
| Price per square foot | $156 | $175 |
| Median rent | $1,553 | $1,678 |
| Total tax burden (state avg, Tax Foundation) | 9.3% | 8.6% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.00% | 8.20% |
| Capital gains tax | 3.05% | None |
| Property tax rate | 0.84% | 1.76% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 75.6 yrs | 77.9 yrs |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,600 | $6,800 |
| Uninsured (share of residents) | 7.7% | 17.7% |
| Primary care providers / 100k | 86 | 65 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $12,000 | $9,500 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.20% | None |
| Days per year ≥ 90°F | 10 | 97 |
| Days per year ≥ 100°F | 0 | 17 |
| Homes with air conditioning (state) | 94% | 95% |
| Avg commute (min) | 25 | 28 |
| Commute by driving alone | 74.5% | 71.3% |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,600 | $3,600 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,400 | $2,100 |
| FEMA risk index (0–100, higher = more risk) | 83.9 — Relatively Moderate | 96.5 — Relatively High |
| Flood insurance / yr | $600 | $900 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 17.9 | 17.0 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.30 | 3.00 |
| Natural gas / mo | $72 | $52 |
| Water & sewer / mo | $102 | $134 |
| Home internet / mo | $81 | $83 |
| Violent crime /100k (state avg) | 360 | 430 |
| Avg summer high °F | 86 | 96 |
| Avg winter low °F | 20 | 38 |
| Annual precipitation (in) | 43.6 | 38.3 |
| Annual snowfall (in) | 25.5 | 1.7 |
| Sunshine (% possible) | 55% | 61% |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 2 |
Ad · affiliate links
Find a job in Indianapolis or Dallas
Openings in each metro, so you can check what your salary actually looks like before you move.