City comparison
McAllen, TX vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 12.2% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $112,200 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in TN.
- 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 McAllen, TX to Nashville, TN changes real buying power by −10.8%, purely from prices.
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| McAllen, TX | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 85.9 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,158 in Nashville | $89,160 in McAllen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $847/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $35,830 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | McAllen | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 55.9 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 85.9 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
McAllen, TX → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Nashville, TN → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.2%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 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 McAllen, TX to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | McAllen, TX | Nashville, TN | Real change, McAllen → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | McAllen, TX | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in McAllen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,110 | $61,460 | $54,798 (−13.2%) |
| Software Developers | $116,120 | $126,610 | $112,886 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $64,470 | $78,080 | $69,616 (+8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,540 | $84,040 | $74,930 (−7.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.