City comparison
McAllen, TX vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Raleigh, NC are 14.3% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $114,300 in Raleigh, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Raleigh, NC than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from McAllen, TX to Raleigh, NC ($106,437 → $111,147), while prices change by +14.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.6% in real buying power.
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| McAllen, TX | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 85.9 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,276 in Raleigh | $87,508 in McAllen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $847/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $35,830 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | McAllen | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 55.9 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 85.9 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
McAllen, TX → Raleigh, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
37 Weak offer
Raleigh, NC → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.3%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
McAllen, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from McAllen, TX to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | McAllen, TX | Raleigh, NC | Real change, McAllen → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,453 | −8.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,983 | −8.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,468 | −8.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,147 | −8.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,342 | −8.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | McAllen, TX | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in McAllen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,110 | $60,170 | $52,653 (−16.6%) |
| Software Developers | $116,120 | $132,770 | $116,184 (+0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $64,470 | $81,950 | $71,713 (+11.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,540 | $84,830 | $74,233 (−7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.