City comparison
McAllen, TX vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 21.7% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $121,700 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from McAllen, TX to New Haven, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +21.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.2% in real buying power.
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| McAllen, TX | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 85.9 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,729 in New Haven | $82,150 in McAllen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $847/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $35,830 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | McAllen | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 55.9 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 85.9 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
McAllen, TX → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
37 Weak offer
New Haven, CT → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.7%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
McAllen, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from McAllen, TX to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | McAllen, TX | New Haven, CT | Real change, McAllen → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | −3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | −3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | McAllen, TX | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in McAllen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,110 | $79,820 | $65,572 (+3.9%) |
| Software Developers | $116,120 | $133,040 | $109,292 (−5.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $64,470 | $94,960 | $78,009 (+21.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,540 | $104,490 | $85,838 (+6.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.