City comparison
McAllen, TX vs Minneapolis, MN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Minneapolis, MN are 22.0% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $122,000 in Minneapolis, MN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,405 a month in Minneapolis, MN versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Minneapolis, MN and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,277 a year higher in Minneapolis, MN than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.0% moving from McAllen, TX to Minneapolis, MN ($106,437 → $116,038), while prices change by +22.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.7% in real buying power.
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
- Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| McAllen, TX | Minneapolis, MN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 85.9 | 104.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $122,035 in Minneapolis | $81,944 in McAllen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $847/mo | $1,405/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,903 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,277 (MN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $35,830 | $59,320 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI |
Rent areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | McAllen | Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 55.9 | 111.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 103.1 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 93.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 85.9 | 104.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
McAllen, TX → Minneapolis, MN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$5,277/yr.
38 Weak offer
Minneapolis, MN → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.0%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$5,277/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
McAllen, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Minneapolis, MN is in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from McAllen, TX to Minneapolis, MN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | McAllen, TX | Minneapolis, MN | Real change, McAllen → Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $67,290 | −10.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $81,415 | −10.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $97,582 | −10.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $116,038 | −10.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $137,123 | −10.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | McAllen, TX | Minneapolis, MN | Minneapolis pay in McAllen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,110 | $79,730 | $65,334 (+3.5%) |
| Software Developers | $116,120 | $130,920 | $107,281 (−7.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $64,470 | $86,500 | $70,881 (+9.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,540 | $103,040 | $84,435 (+4.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.