City comparison
Carrollton, TX is about 20 miles (30 km) from Dallas, TX in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 20 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Carrollton, TX to Dallas, TX takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Dallas has a population of 1,300,642, vs 132,284 in Carrollton — about 9.8× larger by population. By land area, Dallas covers about 340 sq mi vs 37 sq mi for Carrollton.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Carrollton | Dallas | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,555/mo | $1,305/mo | 19.2% higher in Carrollton |
| Median home value | $327,300 | $270,700 | 20.9% higher in Carrollton |
| Median household income | $95,380 | $63,985 | 49.1% higher in Carrollton |
| Groceries index | 102.5 | 101.7 | 0.7% higher in Carrollton |
| Utilities index | 91.1 | 89.3 | 2.0% higher in Carrollton |
| Transportation index | 99.8 | 98.5 | 1.2% higher in Carrollton |
| Healthcare index | 99.2 | 99.7 | ≈ equal (Dallas slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Carrollton, you'd need $98,825 in Dallas to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Dallas, TX is about 1.2% cheaper overall than Carrollton, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Carrollton, you'd need about $79,060 in Dallas to keep the same standard of living.