City comparison
McAllen, TX vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 24.2% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $124,200 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.8% moving from McAllen, TX to Sacramento, CA ($106,437 → $117,984), while prices change by +24.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.7% in real buying power.
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| McAllen, TX | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 85.9 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,187 in Sacramento | $80,524 in McAllen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $847/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $35,830 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | McAllen | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 55.9 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 85.9 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
McAllen, TX → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.5%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
31 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.2%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
McAllen, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from McAllen, TX to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | McAllen, TX | Sacramento, CA | Real change, McAllen → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,419 | −10.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,780 | −10.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,218 | −10.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,984 | −10.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $139,422 | −10.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | McAllen, TX | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in McAllen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,110 | $103,390 | $83,254 (+31.9%) |
| Software Developers | $116,120 | $139,640 | $112,444 (−3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $64,470 | $92,110 | $74,171 (+15.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,540 | $171,460 | $138,067 (+71.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.