City comparison
Detroit, MI vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 16.8% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $116,800 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,122 a month in Detroit, MI versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Detroit, MI and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Detroit, MI to McAllen, TX ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.9% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- 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
| Detroit, MI | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,640 in McAllen | $116,768 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
100 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | McAllen, TX | Real change, Detroit → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | +5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | +5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | +5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | +5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | +5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $63,110 | $73,692 (+13.0%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $116,120 | $135,591 (+3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $64,470 | $75,280 (−6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $80,540 | $94,045 (−3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.