City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Hagerstown, MD are 9.6% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $109,600 in Hagerstown, MD to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $961 a month in Hagerstown, MD versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Hagerstown, MD and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.6% moving from Hagerstown, MD to McAllen, TX ($121,785 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.2% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,212 in McAllen | $109,635 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
99 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
41 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | McAllen, TX | Real change, Hagerstown → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $61,722 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $74,678 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $89,508 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $106,437 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $125,776 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | not published | $78,200 | — |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $116,120 | $127,308 (+3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $64,470 | $70,682 (−6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $80,540 | $88,300 (−4.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.