City comparison
McAllen, TX vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 13.0% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $113,000 in Rochester, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,256 a month in Rochester, NY versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from McAllen, TX to Rochester, NY ($106,437 → $107,182), while prices change by +13.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.9% in real buying power.
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| McAllen, TX | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 85.9 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,969 in Rochester | $88,520 in McAllen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $847/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $35,830 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | McAllen | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 55.9 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 85.9 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
McAllen, TX → Rochester, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
38 Weak offer
Rochester, NY → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.0%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
McAllen, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from McAllen, TX to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | McAllen, TX | Rochester, NY | Real change, McAllen → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,155 | −10.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,202 | −10.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,135 | −10.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,182 | −10.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,657 | −10.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | McAllen, TX | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in McAllen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,110 | $62,840 | $55,626 (−11.9%) |
| Software Developers | $116,120 | $122,770 | $108,676 (−6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $64,470 | $80,890 | $71,604 (+11.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,540 | $86,570 | $76,631 (−4.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.