City comparison
Houston, TX vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 14.8% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $114,800 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, 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 −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to McAllen, TX ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by −12.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.4% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (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
| Houston, TX | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,089 in McAllen | $114,825 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/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 | 20% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | McAllen, TX | Real change, Houston → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $63,110 | $72,466 (+12.4%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $116,120 | $133,335 (+3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $64,470 | $74,028 (−13.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $80,540 | $92,480 (−7.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.