City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Des Moines, IA are 6.8% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $106,800 in Des Moines, IA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,109 a month in Des Moines, IA versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Des Moines, IA and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Des Moines, IA than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.8% moving from Des Moines, IA to McAllen, TX ($107,301 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.9% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Des Moines, IA | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,669 in McAllen | $106,759 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
90 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Des Moines, IA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | McAllen, TX | Real change, Des Moines → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $61,722 | +5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $74,678 | +5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $89,508 | +5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $106,437 | +5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $125,776 | +5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $63,110 | $67,376 (+9.3%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $116,120 | $123,969 (−2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $64,470 | $68,828 (−13.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $80,540 | $85,984 (+9.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.