City comparison
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 | Dallas | Lowell | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,305/mo | $1,466/mo | 11.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $270,700 | $362,800 | 25.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $63,985 | $73,008 | 12.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 90.5 | 96.5 | 6.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 74.6 | 93.4 | 20.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 87.0 | 87.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.8 | 92.3 | 8.0% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Dallas, you'd need $107,819 in Lowell to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Dallas, TX is about 7.3% cheaper overall than Lowell, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 11% lower in Dallas than in Lowell. If you earn $80,000 in Dallas, you'd need about $86,255 in Lowell to keep the same standard of living.