Last verified: June 2026 · OPM 2026 General Schedule locality tables
The Metroplex carries a distinctive federal footprint. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, headquarters of the Eleventh District, sits in Dallas, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's Western Currency Facility in Fort Worth is one of only two places in the country that print U.S. currency. Add the federal courthouses for the Northern District of Texas, the VA North Texas system, and the aerospace base around Naval Air Station Fort Worth, and the federal presence is broad. The 2026 OPM locality rate is 27.26%.
Because Texas levies no state income tax and no local income tax, a 27.26% locality adjustment goes further on take-home than the same number on the coast. The trade-off is property tax, which the state leans on instead and which runs among the highest in the nation, so the relocation math here turns on the property tax bill, not the income tax line.
Dallas-Fort Worth's relocation decision spans two cities and a wide ring of suburbs, with a federal map that runs from the Dallas Fed and courthouse to the currency facility in Fort Worth. The real questions are which side of the Metroplex your duty station sits on, which rail line serves it, and what the property tax actually runs at the address you choose.
This guide is organized around the pillars that shape the decision here: where the workforce lives along DART, the Trinity Railway Express, and TEXRail, the commute math, Texas's no-income-tax and property-tax picture, and the homebuyer assistance that can help clear the down payment.
DFW's federal footprint runs from central banking and currency to courts, health, and aerospace, split across the Dallas and Fort Worth sides. The clusters below map to where federal households actually land.
The Dallas rail core. Downtown and Uptown Dallas sit where all four DART rail lines meet, near the courthouse, the Dallas Fed, and a walkable, dense core, with the northern corporate and university belt up the Red Line.
The Fort Worth side. Fort Worth holds a distinct core near the currency facility, the cultural district, and TCU, linked to Dallas by the Trinity Railway Express and to the airport by TEXRail, with its own slower pace.
The 2026 locality adjustment for the Dallas-Fort Worth locality area is 27.26%, which OPM applies on top of base General Schedule pay for every federal civilian whose duty station falls inside the boundary. With no Texas income tax, more of that gross reaches take-home than in a comparable income-tax state.
The table below shows approximate Step 1 figures: the true General Schedule base, then the Metroplex total after the locality adjustment. These are starting-step numbers, and your exact pay depends on grade, step, and the current OPM tables, so confirm before any financial decision.
| GS Grade (Step 1) | Approx. Base | With 27.26% Locality |
|---|---|---|
| GS-9 | ~$52,700 | ~$67,100 |
| GS-11 | ~$63,800 | ~$81,200 |
| GS-12 | ~$76,500 | ~$97,300 |
| GS-13 | ~$90,900 | ~$115,700 |
| GS-14 | ~$107,400 | ~$136,700 |
| GS-15 | ~$126,400 | ~$160,800 |
Federal, university, and transitioning veteran households spread across two cities and a wide suburban ring, clustering by their duty station and rail access. The Dallas core and the northern belt are rail-rich, while the Fort Worth side and the outer suburbs trade some transit for value and space.
Large multi-family property groups across the metro offer Preferred Employer Programs for federal civil servants and credentialed university students. Typical structural benefits include waived security deposits, waived application and administrative fees, and lease clauses that allow penalty-free breaks for reassignment, relocation, or program changes.
Ask a property manager directly whether a federal GS offer letter or active university ID qualifies for a PEP rate before signing.
In a no-income-tax state, the property tax bill is the real cost of ownership, and it is unusually variable across the Metroplex's many cities, counties, and school districts. Two similar homes a few miles apart can carry very different tax bills, so the address-level rate is part of the buying decision.
The two habits that matter most: file your homestead exemption the year you move in, which lowers your taxable value and activates the 10% annual appraisal cap, and protest your appraised value when it spikes, which in a fast-appreciating market is routine and often successful. Running that number by address is exactly what this guide is built to do.
DFW has one of the largest light rail systems in the country, joined by two commuter lines, so a transit commute is realistic from the core and the rail-served suburbs for federal employees through the federal transit benefit.
Texas levies no state income tax and no local income tax, so wages, side income, and investment gains are free of state tax, the headline reason many households move here. The state funds local services through property and sales taxes instead, so property tax is the number that matters, and effective rates run among the highest in the nation. A homestead exemption and a 10% annual cap on appraised value protect primary residences, and in the Metroplex's fast-appreciating market, annual appraisal protests are common. Confirm current figures with a professional.
First-time homebuyer program availability and funding levels change frequently. The TDHCA and TSAHC programs and the Dallas Homebuyer Assistance Program each operate with limited funding cycles, eligibility caps that shift, and purchase price limits that vary by program window. Verify current status with the official program site before factoring assistance into a purchase budget.
Dallas-Fort Worth has a deep stack of free parks and cultural infrastructure that functions as quiet income, including two of the country's notable free-admission art museums. Most newcomers underuse it.
The Metroplex's family infrastructure is a major draw, with some of the most sought-after suburban school districts in the state, strong healthcare, and an affordable cost base relative to the coast. Quality varies widely across the cities and suburbs.
DFW's federal base, the VA North Texas system, and the aerospace and defense industry around Naval Air Station Fort Worth and Lockheed Martin make it a strong landing spot for transitioning service members. Non-competitive hiring authorities like the Veterans' Recruitment Appointment (VRA) and the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) streamline the path from active service into a GS career, with the 27.26% locality adjustment immediately applied.
Texas is also one of the most veteran-friendly states for ownership: disabled veterans qualify for property tax exemptions that reach a full exemption at a 100% disability rating, a substantial benefit in a high property-tax state, and TSAHC's Homes for Texas Heroes program is open to veterans with down payment assistance. UT Dallas, UT Arlington, SMU, TCU, and UNT maintain student-veteran offices with Yellow Ribbon integration.
The Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK locality pay area sits at 27.26% for 2026, per the OPM General Schedule locality tables.
It applies to every federal civilian GS employee whose official duty station falls inside the boundary. Because Texas has no state income tax, more of that gross pay reaches take-home than in a comparable income-tax state.
No. Texas has no state income tax and no local income tax, so your wages, side income, and investment gains are free of state tax.
The state funds local services through property and sales taxes instead, which is why property tax is the cost that matters most here.
High and variable. With no income tax, Texas leans on property tax, and effective rates run among the highest in the nation, around 1.6% but differing a lot across the Metroplex's many cities, counties, and school districts.
A homestead exemption and a 10% annual cap on appraised value protect primary residences, and appraisal protests are routine in this fast-appreciating market. Always file your homestead exemption and check the rate for any address. Confirm with a professional.
Eligible federal employees may receive a monthly tax-free transit benefit, capped at the federal pre-tax commuter limit, that covers DART rail and bus, the Trinity Railway Express, and TEXRail.
One GoPass account works across DART and connects to the regional services, with a tap card and a mobile app.
It depends on the duty station.
Dallas core: Downtown and Uptown by the courthouse and the Dallas Fed where all four DART lines meet.
Northern belt: Plano, Frisco, and Richardson for the corporate and university corridor.
Fort Worth side: the core near the currency facility and TCU, plus Arlington, Irving, and Denton.
Texas runs two statewide systems plus a city program:
Veterans are generally exempt from the first-time requirement. Verify current funding on the official program site.
The Metroplex has a deep roster across both cities: the University of Texas at Dallas, UT Arlington, SMU, TCU in Fort Worth, and the University of North Texas in Denton.
UT Southwestern Medical Center anchors academic medicine. Several maintain student-veteran offices with Yellow Ribbon integration.
Transitioning service members can use non-competitive federal hiring authorities to move into civilian roles.
DFW's federal base, the VA North Texas system, and the aerospace sector around Naval Air Station Fort Worth make it a strong landing spot, and Texas adds property tax exemptions for disabled veterans.
HomeScoop maps your federal locality pay against actual rents and prices across the Dallas core, the northern corporate belt, the Fort Worth side, and the suburbs. We lay the school district lines over each address, factor the real and highly variable Texas property tax into the household budget, and show the real DART, Trinity Railway Express, and TEXRail commute from each option to your duty station or campus. Intelligence layer, not a listings platform. We calculate, compare, and surface, so you arrive at the lease signing or the offer with the math already done.
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