in this economy?

This is the salary you need to live comfortably in Dallas in 2026

Single Dallasites need to make nearly $97,000 to live comfortably in the city, the report found.

A 2026 report analyzing how much it costs to live "in sustainable comfort" in the biggest U.S. cities has found Dallas residents need to make $1,040 more than they did last year to live comfortably in the city.

Dallas is tied with neighbors Garland and Irving at No. 72 in SmartAsset's national ranking of the cities with the highest salary needed to live comfortably in 2026, with single adult residents needing to make $96,970 a year to qualify as "financially stable." Last year, single Dallasites needed to make $95,930 to be considered financially stable.

Families with two working parents and two children need to make a household income of $214,490 to have a financially stable life in Dallas, the report found. That's only $749 higher than what families needed to make last year.

To determine the rankings, SmartAsset's analysts examined 100 of the largest U.S. cities and used the latest cost of living data – such as the costs for housing, food, transportation, and income taxes where applicable – from the MIT Living Wage Calculator for childless individuals and for two working adults with two children.

For the purpose of the study, the 50/30/20 budgeting strategy was used to determine "comfortable lifestyle" costs for both individuals and families: 50 percent of income to cover needs and living expenses, 30 percent for "wants," and 20 percent for savings or paying down debt.

Here's breakdown of a Dallas resident's comfortable lifestyle based on SmartAsset's findings:

$48,485 dedicated to needs and living expenses
$29,037 dedicated to wants
$19,358 dedicated to savings or debt repayment

This is SmartAsset's interpretation of a comfortable lifestyle for families of four:

$107,245 dedicated to needs and living expenses
$64,347 dedicated to wants
$42,898 dedicated to savings or debt repayment

SmartAsset said single individuals and families should compare the fluctuating local cost of living and their long-term goals to fully "understand the context" of their respective household incomes. But it's worth pointing out that a financially stable life in Dallas isn't quite attainable for many residents: The city had a median household income of $74,323 in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Elsewhere in North Texas, the report found that families in Frisco and McKinney "are closest to a comfortable salary."

"In Frisco, [Texas], the median household earns $145,444 – substantially higher than the national median of $83,730," the report's author wrote. "This figure also accounts for 63.1 percent of the $230,464 income a family of four in Frisco needs to live comfortably. In McKinney, TX, the $124,177 median household income accounts for 53.9 percent of the $230,464 needed."

The two suburbs also tied with Plano for the 29th highest salary needed nationally to live comfortably in 2026. Single adults living in these cities need to make $109,242 a year to live a financially stable life this year.

Fort Worth and Arlington tied for No. 68 overall, with single adults needing a $97,552 salary to live comfortably, and $217,235 for working families of four.

cost of living reports salaries smartasset money

This Week's Hot Headlines

Dallas' iconic Granada Theater announces closure and more top stories

Photo by Bill Ellison

The Granada Theater will officially close on April 17, 2027.

Editor's note: The top Dallas news of the week is full of goodbyes, starting with the impending closure of a famed Dallas theater. Read on for our most popular stories, then plan your Halloween weekend here.

1. Dallas' Granada Theater will close after 80 years to become Bathhouse spa. Granada Theater, a staple on Greenville Avenue for the past 80 years, will close its doors in 2027 after being sold to the New York-based spa concept, Bathhouse.

2. New Bishop Arts bistro brings French elan to historic Oak Cliff home. Transforming historic Oak Cliff homes into dining destinations is an art, and a duo known for their Deep Ellum hot spots has a new work on display. Trapèze, a French bohemian bar and bistro, has quietly opened on the west end of the Bishop Arts District.

3. Dallas gymnast Skye Blakely wins gold at 2026 world championships. American Skye Blakely soared to the women's all-around gold at the world gymnastics championships on Friday, October 23, putting together four stellar routines as other top competitors faltered.

Day 7 - Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Rotterdam 2026 Skye Blakely is the 2026 gymnastics world champion. Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images

4. Famed pizzeria Slice House by Tony Gemignani temporarily closes in Frisco. Celebrity-chef-owned pizzeria Slice House by Tony Gemignani, the pizza brand by world-renowned pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani, has closed its location in Frisco.

5. Acclaimed Vaqueros BBQ restaurant backed by M Crowd closes in Allen. A high-profile barbecue restaurant in Allen has closed. Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q, which opened at Watters Creek Village in early 2025 with backing from the M Crowd Restaurant Group, has shut down, and the partnership has dissolved.

closures granada theater hot-headlines most popular stories