City comparison
Dallas, TX vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 20.0% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $120,000 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- Both are in TX, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.0% moving from Dallas, TX to McAllen, TX ($115,711 → $106,437), while prices change by −16.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.4% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Dallas, TX | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $83,320 in McAllen | $120,019 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.0%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | McAllen, TX | Real change, Dallas → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $61,722 | +10.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $74,678 | +10.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $89,508 | +10.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $106,437 | +10.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $125,776 | +10.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $63,110 | $75,744 (+16.4%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $116,120 | $139,366 (+4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $64,470 | $77,376 (−6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $80,540 | $96,663 (−4.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.