Money wise
This is how much money you need to live comfortably in Dallas-Fort Worth, new study finds
A Dallas-Fort worth resident needs to make $11,000 more in 2023 to live a financially stable life, according to the report.
Inflation is high, interest rates are skyrocketing, and honestly, just existing is expensive. Whether it be the price of eggs or a new car, trying to have a financially stable life in one of America’s largest metropolitan areas is becoming more and more difficult.
So, how much money do you need to make to live comfortably in Dallas-Fort Worth? Approximately $64,742 a year post-tax, according to a new study by financial tech company SmartAsset.
That’s an $11,000-plus increase from their previous annual report, where Dallas-Fort Worth residents only needed to make $53,680 a year post-tax to live comfortably in the area.
Their experts collected data from MIT’s Living Wage Calculator to determine the cost of living for a childless individual in the 25 largest American metro areas. They also used the 50/30/20 budgeting strategy to figure out what a “comfortable lifestyle” meant for the purpose of their study: 50 percent of their income goes to a person’s needs/living expenses, 30 percent to a person’s wants, and 20 percent for their savings or paying down debt.
To live a financially stable life, a childless Dallas-Fort Worth individual would need to spend $32,371 of their salary on their living expenses, $19,423 for discretionary expenses, and put $12,948 toward their savings or debt payments.
Considering rent has increased up to 15 percent since 2022 in some Dallas suburbs, that might be a tighter squeeze for some. And if you aren't a man, the Dallas-Fort Worth gender pay gap also plays a factor.
Susannah Snider, SmartAsset’s managing editor of financial education, says in the study that budgeting should be the “bedrock of many people’s financial plans.”
“And it’s especially essential to understand and track your spending when the cost of everyday items is rising,” said Snider. “Being able to stick to a 50/30/20 budget means you have enough to fund short- and long-term goals while paying for essential living expenses.”
To live comfortably in the largest metro areas in the United States, on average, an individual would need to make $68,499 a year after taxes, which is a 20 percent increase from 2022.
In other Texas metro areas, like Houston and San Antonio, a person would need to make $62,260 and $59,270 a year post-tax.
The full study and its methodology can be found on smartasset.com.
