City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Huntsville, AL are 8.4% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $108,400 in Huntsville, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Huntsville, AL to McAllen, TX ($110,847 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.0% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (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
| Huntsville, AL | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,289 in McAllen | $108,356 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.4%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
95 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Huntsville, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
45 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | McAllen, TX | Real change, Huntsville → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $61,722 | +4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $74,678 | +4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $89,508 | +4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $106,437 | +4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $125,776 | +4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $63,110 | $68,383 (+9.9%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $116,120 | $125,822 (−1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $64,470 | $69,857 (−11.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $80,540 | $87,270 (+13.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.