City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Peoria, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Peoria, IL are 1.5% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $101,500 in Peoria, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,013 a month in El Paso, TX versus $818 in Peoria, IL. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in El Paso, TX and 13% in Peoria, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Peoria, IL than in El Paso, TX.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from El Paso, TX to Peoria, IL changes real buying power by −1.4%, purely from prices.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
- Peoria, IL: price level 91.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| El Paso, TX | Peoria, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 91.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,467 in Peoria | $98,554 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $818/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $49,590 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Peoria, IL MSA. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Peoria, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Peoria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 63.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 90.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 91.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Peoria, IL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
64 Fair offer
Peoria, IL → El Paso, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from El Paso, TX to Peoria, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Peoria, IL | Real change, El Paso → Peoria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Peoria, IL | Peoria pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $57,440 | $56,610 (−11.3%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $130,590 | $128,702 (+1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $79,540 | $78,390 (+18.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $81,010 | $79,839 (−7.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.