City comparison
Harrisburg, PA vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Harrisburg, PA are 14.8% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $114,800 in Harrisburg, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,212 a month in Harrisburg, PA versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Harrisburg, PA and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Harrisburg, PA than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Harrisburg, PA to McAllen, TX ($108,592 → $106,437), while prices change by −12.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.6% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (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
| Harrisburg, PA | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,070 in McAllen | $114,850 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | McAllen, TX | Real change, Harrisburg → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,722 | +12.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,678 | +12.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,508 | +12.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,437 | +12.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $125,776 | +12.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $63,110 | $72,482 (−6.1%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $116,120 | $133,363 (+21.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $64,470 | $74,043 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $80,540 | $92,500 (−4.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.