Most people moving up I-45 are doing it for work, and the money question is whether the raise survives the move. Broadly, Dallas costs a little more to live in and a lot less to get around.
Housing. Average home prices run roughly $303,000 in Dallas against $259,000 in Houston, and average rent about $1,774 against $1,549. That gap is the single biggest line in your new budget. It buys you a shorter commute and, in the northern suburbs, the school districts most transferring families are actually moving for.
Income and tax. Per-capita income is around $67,800 in Dallas versus $62,900 in Houston, and Dallas unemployment runs lower, near 3.6% against 4.1%. Sales tax is 8.25% in both, and there is no state income tax either way — so the comparison is genuinely just housing against salary.
Weather. Dallas is drier and colder. About 39 inches of rain a year against Houston’s 53, and winter lows near 36°F against 43°F. You will use a coat. You will also see the occasional inch of snow, which Houston essentially never gets, and North Texas ice storms close roads in a way Houston flooding does not.
Day to day. Dallas city proper is about 1.3 million people to Houston’s 2.3 million, and it is noticeably easier to drive — the street grid is more legible and there are more secondary routes when the highway backs up. Dallas also reports a lower crime index, 51.4 against 63.5.
Practical note for the move itself: if you are house-hunting in Dallas while still living in Houston, your closing dates will not line up neatly. That is what storage in transit is for, and it is cheaper to plan for it than to discover it two weeks out.