City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lafayette, LA are 1.5% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $101,500 in Lafayette, LA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $898 a month in Lafayette, LA versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 14% of take-home pay in Lafayette, LA and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Lafayette, LA than in McAllen, 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 Lafayette, LA to McAllen, TX changes real buying power by +1.5%, purely from prices.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much 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
| Lafayette, LA | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,493 in McAllen | $101,530 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → McAllen, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
74 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Lafayette, LA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
64 Fair 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 Lafayette, LA to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | McAllen, TX | Real change, Lafayette → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $63,110 | $64,075 (+34.1%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $116,120 | $117,896 (+8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $64,470 | $65,456 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $80,540 | $81,772 (−0.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.