US flag
Dallas

United States

vs
US flag
Los Angeles

United States

Climate

Dallas logs 134 hot days a year to Los Angeles's 65 — Los Angeles wins by 69. Los Angeles also leads on sunny days by 68.

DallasLos Angeles
Sunny days
247315
Hot days
13465
Frost days
100
Rain days
9124
Snow days
20
Outdoor dinner months
5/126/12
Avg wind
3.4 m/s2.1 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,7113,412
Darkest month sun
156 hrs/mo182 hrs/mo
UV peak month
9.710.2

Dallas

Feels-like °C

5
4
15
18
24
33
34
36
31
21
13
9

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Los Angeles

Feels-like °C

14
15
16
21
23
27
30
31
28
25
18
14

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Dallas is $1022/mo cheaper

Dallas runs about $3,329/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Los Angeles's $4,351/mo — Dallas comes in $1,022 cheaper each month, roughly 31% less.

Dallas

$3,329

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,551Comfort $5,539
Cheaper than 51%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Los Angeles

$4,351

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $3,394Comfort $6,993
Top 89%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Mobility

On mobility, Dallas scores 2.6 vs Los Angeles's 2.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on cycling infrastructure.

2.6/5
vs
2.0/5
DallasLos Angeles
MotorbikeFlightsAirport
Flights
Dallas leads

Culture

Los Angeles's culture score of 4.2 sits well above Dallas's 3.7, with the biggest gap on arts & culture.

3.7/5
vs
4.2/5
DallasLos Angeles
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Los Angeles leads

Nature & Outdoors

Los Angeles's nature & outdoors score of 4.0 sits well above Dallas's 3.3, with the biggest gap on surfing & watersports. Dallas still holds an edge on forest access.

3.3/5
vs
4.0/5
DallasLos Angeles
ForestGreen AreasLakesRunning
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiingClimbing
Los Angeles leads

Safety

Dallas's safety score is ~1.2× Los Angeles's — below average, while Los Angeles lands below average, with the biggest gap on wildfire safety. Los Angeles still holds an edge on flooding safety.

2.2/5
vs
1.8/5
DallasLos Angeles
Property CrimeRoadFlooding
Street SafetyProperty CrimeRoadEarthquakeWildfire
Dallas leads

Career

Los Angeles's career score of 4.4 sits well above Dallas's 4.1, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.

4.1/5
vs
4.4/5
DallasLos Angeles
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
Los Angeles leads

Social & Community

Dallas and Los Angeles score neck-and-neck on social & community (3.7 vs 3.6, 0–5 scale).

3.7/5
vs
3.6/5
DallasLos Angeles
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyLocal-First CommunityAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyAdmin English Support
Dallas leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Los Angeles scores 4.8 vs Dallas's 3.8 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on restaurant variety.

3.8/5
vs
4.8/5
DallasLos Angeles
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
Los Angeles leads

Family

On family, Los Angeles scores 4.0 vs Dallas's 3.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on yoga studios.

3.4/5
vs
4.0/5
DallasLos Angeles
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Los Angeles leads

Healthcare

On healthcare, Los Angeles scores 2.8 vs Dallas's 2.1 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on private healthcare quality.

2.1/5
vs
2.8/5
DallasLos Angeles
Private Healthcare
Private Healthcare
Los Angeles leads

Air Quality

Dallas averages 9.5 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Los Angeles's 13.8 µg/m³ (moderate) — Dallas breathes ~31% cleaner air (4.3 µg/m³ lower).

Dallas

Los Angeles

9.5µg/m³
13.8µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Good
Moderate

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Dallas (2.6M) and Los Angeles (13.5M) are 5.2x in population — Los Angeles is the larger metro, Dallas the smaller; on land area Los Angeles spans roughly 3.6x more ground.

4.4x

Los Angeles is roughly 4.4x the scale of Dallas

Combined population & area comparison

US flagLos Angeles
4.4x
US flagDallas
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.US flagLos Angeles13.5M5.2x
2.US flagDallas2.6M1x
Area
1.US flagLos Angeles4,498 km²3.6x
2.US flagDallas1,237 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
40 km55 km

US flagDallas

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
144 km83 km

US flagLos Angeles

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Dallas vs Los Angeles

Which is cheaper, Dallas or Los Angeles?
Dallas is approximately $1,022 per month cheaper. Dallas averages $3,329/mo while Los Angeles averages $4,351/mo.
How does the climate compare between Dallas and Los Angeles?
Sunny days: 247 vs 315 d — Los Angeles higher Annual sunshine: 2,711 vs 3,412 hrs — Los Angeles higher Winter sunshine: 156 vs 182 hrs/day — Los Angeles higher Hot days (>30°C): 134 vs 65 d — Los Angeles lower Frost days: 10 vs 0 d — Los Angeles lower Rainy days: 91 vs 24 d — Los Angeles lower Snowy days: 2 vs 0 d — Similar
Is Dallas or Los Angeles safer?
Both cities have similar safety profiles, scoring around 2.2/5 on our aggregate safety index covering street safety, property crime, and natural hazards.
Should I move to Dallas or Los Angeles?
Dallas and Los Angeles are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Dallas is generally more affordable, while Los Angeles may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Dallas and Los Angeles stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

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