City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 22.9% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $122,900 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.0% moving from Bremerton, WA to McAllen, TX ($119,630 → $106,437), while prices change by −18.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.4% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bremerton, WA | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $81,335 in McAllen | $122,949 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.9%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | McAllen, TX | Real change, Bremerton → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $61,722 | +9.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $74,678 | +9.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,508 | +9.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,437 | +9.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $125,776 | +9.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | not published | $78,200 | — |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $116,120 | $142,768 (−2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $64,470 | $79,265 (−10.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $80,540 | $99,023 (−7.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.