City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 16.5% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $116,500 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to McAllen, TX ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.2% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,845 in McAllen | $116,489 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.5%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
100 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.2%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
35 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | McAllen, TX | Real change, Atlanta → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | +10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | +10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | +10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | +10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | +10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $63,110 | $73,516 (−4.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $116,120 | $135,267 (+1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $64,470 | $75,100 (−12.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $80,540 | $93,820 (−6.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.