Moving from Kansas City to Dallas
Your paycheck buys 5.0% less in Dallas than in Kansas City; you'd need about $90,100 to break even. Compare taxes, rent, home prices and the cost of the move.
Equal salary in Dallas: $90,100
Compare any two of 149 U.S. metro areas. All cities
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $90,100 in Dallas, TX to match $85,000 in Kansas City, MO ($5,100 more), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary. Texas has no state income tax on wages; Missouri does; includes Kansas City resident tax $850 (inside city limits).
Kansas City vs Dallas: key facts
- Median rent
- $1,315 → $1,718/mo
- Median home value
- $314,300 → $389,500
- Median household income
- $83,785 → $92,733
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 92.5 → 103.1
- Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
- Among the highest (87.7 → 96.5 of 100)
Kansas City vs Dallas cost of living
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100).
| Measure | Kansas City, MO | Dallas, TX |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 92.5 | 103.1 |
| Median rent | $1,315 | $1,718 |
| Income to rent affordably (30%) | $52,600 | $68,720 |
| Median home value | $314,300 | $389,500 |
| Monthly cost to own (20% down) | $2,086 | $2,718 |
| Income needed to buy | $89,385 | $116,495 |
| Median property tax | $3,379 | $5,616 |
| State income tax on $85,000 | $2,988 | $0 |
| City income tax (inside city limits) | $850 | None |
| Metro population | 2,254,288 | 8,344,032 |
Metro-area figures (Census ACS 2024, BEA 2024). Taxes use each metro's principal state, plus the income tax the principal city charges its residents. Commuters who live elsewhere often pay a nonresident rate, and many suburbs levy their own local tax, so unticking a city's box in the calculator estimates a typical suburban rate for it instead.
At higher incomes, especially for homeowners, itemizing state and local taxes (deductible up to $40,400 in 2026) can lower your federal tax while you live in Kansas City, which narrows the gap shown.
- Kansas City, MO: Kansas City, Missouri residents pay a 1% earnings tax on all earnings (renewed April 2026). If you live outside Kansas City, Missouri but work in it, you still pay the 1% earnings tax on those wages. The Kansas suburbs and the other Missouri suburbs have no local income tax. Take-home figures include the resident tax.
Your yearly budget: Kansas City vs Dallas
On an $85,000 salary, taxes, housing, electricity, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $47,959 a year in Kansas City and $50,216 in Dallas if you rent: $2,257 more after the move. If you buy the median home, they come to $57,207 and $62,219 ($5,012 more).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | Kansas CityBefore | DallasAfter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $85,000, single filer | $20,211 | $16,373 | -$3,838 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,550 | $1,965 | +$415 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,155 | $1,429 | +$274 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $2,003 | $1,901 | -$102 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $7,260 | $7,932 | +$672 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent median, 12 months | $15,780 | $20,616 | +$4,836 |
| Total if you rent | $47,959 | $50,216 | +$2,257 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 6.95% | $19,973 | $24,752 | +$4,779 |
| Property tax median home | $3,379 | $5,616 | +$2,237 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,676 | $2,251 | +$575 |
| Total if you buy | $57,207 | $62,219 | +$5,012 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, plus the principal city's resident income tax where it has one, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 metro-area medians. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%, week of September 17, 2026).
State figures for the principal state: EIA 2024 average residential power bill, NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on September 23, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $13,780 a year in Kansas City and $11,349 in Dallas (Child Care Aware of America, 2024 state averages).
Who moves from Kansas City to Dallas
About 1,036 households (1,758 people) moved from the Kansas City metro area to the Dallas metro area in 2022–2023, making Dallas the #1 destination for people leaving Kansas City among the 149 metro areas we cover. 608 households moved the other way. Their average adjusted gross income was $96,246.
Cost to move from Kansas City to Dallas
| Moving method (2–3 bedrooms) | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) | $480–$1,590 |
| Moving container | $1,280–$2,760 |
| Full-service movers | $2,120–$6,980 |
Shipping a car instead of driving
Car shipping: $700–$1,060
Shipping a sedan from Kansas City to Dallas on an open carrier costs about $700–$1,060, typically 3–7 days in transit over about 530 miles.
Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published Hawaii and Alaska rates. SUVs cost about 25% more and enclosed carriers about 35% more. Not a quote.
Natural hazard risk: Kansas City vs Dallas
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the Kansas City area among the highest (score 87.7) and the Dallas area among the highest (score 96.5), on a 0–100 national percentile scale. Expected yearly losses from natural hazards average $415 vs $390 per resident.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
Frequently asked questions
Is Dallas cheaper than Kansas City?
Overall prices in the Dallas area are 11.5% higher than in Kansas City (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $1,718 vs $1,315 a month, and the median home is $389,500 vs $314,300.
What salary do I need in Dallas to match $100,000 in Kansas City?
About $105,500, after 2026 federal taxes and local prices. Texas has no state income tax on wages; Missouri does.
How much does it cost to move from Kansas City to Dallas?
For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 530 miles: roughly $480–$1,590 with a rental truck, $1,280–$2,760 with a container, or $2,120–$6,980 with full-service movers.
How many people move from Kansas City to Dallas?
IRS county migration data for 2022–2023 show about 1,036 households (1,758 people) moved from the Kansas City metro area to the Dallas metro area, and 608 moved the other way.
Related
Where people from Kansas City move
- St. Louis 696 households
- Denver 566 households
- Chicago 559 households
- Phoenix 554 households
- Wichita 499 households
- Houston 419 households
- Los Angeles 378 households
- Springfield 363 households