City comparison
McAllen, TX vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 13.0% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $113,000 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Reading, PA than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from McAllen, TX to Reading, PA ($106,437 → $117,284), while prices change by +13.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.5% in real buying power.
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| McAllen, TX | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 85.9 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,998 in Reading | $88,497 in McAllen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $847/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $35,830 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | McAllen | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 55.9 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 85.9 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
McAllen, TX → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
38 Weak offer
Reading, PA → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.0%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
McAllen, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from McAllen, TX to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | McAllen, TX | Reading, PA | Real change, McAllen → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,013 | −2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,289 | −2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,630 | −2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,284 | −2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,595 | −2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | McAllen, TX | Reading, PA | Reading pay in McAllen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,110 | $79,860 | $70,674 (+12.0%) |
| Software Developers | $116,120 | $120,920 | $107,010 (−7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $64,470 | $75,550 | $66,859 (+3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,540 | $98,470 | $87,143 (+8.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.