City comparison
McAllen, TX vs Roanoke, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Roanoke, VA are 9.0% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $109,000 in Roanoke, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,053 a month in Roanoke, VA versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Roanoke, VA and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Roanoke, VA than in McAllen, TX.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from McAllen, TX to Roanoke, VA changes real buying power by −8.2%, purely from prices.
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
- Roanoke, VA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| McAllen, TX | Roanoke, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 85.9 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,991 in Roanoke | $91,751 in McAllen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $847/mo | $1,053/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $35,830 | $47,140 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA and Roanoke, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX and Roanoke, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | McAllen | Roanoke |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 55.9 | 78.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 88.9 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 85.9 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
McAllen, TX → Roanoke, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
43 Weak offer
Roanoke, VA → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from McAllen, TX to Roanoke, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | McAllen, TX | Roanoke, VA | Real change, McAllen → Roanoke |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | McAllen, TX | Roanoke, VA | Roanoke pay in McAllen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,110 | $62,010 | $56,894 (−9.8%) |
| Software Developers | $116,120 | $121,110 | $111,119 (−4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $64,470 | $77,240 | $70,868 (+9.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,540 | $80,090 | $73,483 (−8.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.