City comparison
Dayton, OH vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dayton, OH are 7.9% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $107,900 in Dayton, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,009 a month in Dayton, OH versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Dayton, OH and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Dayton, OH than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.6% moving from Dayton, OH to McAllen, TX ($110,401 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.0% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- 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
| Dayton, OH | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,665 in McAllen | $107,915 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
93 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Dayton, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | McAllen, TX | Real change, Dayton → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $61,722 | +4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $74,678 | +4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $89,508 | +4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $106,437 | +4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $125,776 | +4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $63,110 | $68,105 (−15.2%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $116,120 | $125,311 (+17.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $64,470 | $69,573 (−12.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $80,540 | $86,915 (+5.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.