City comparison
McAllen, TX vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 25.5% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $125,500 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from McAllen, TX to Santa Rosa, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +25.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.4% in real buying power.
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| McAllen, TX | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 85.9 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $125,483 in Santa Rosa | $79,692 in McAllen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $847/mo | $2,155/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $35,830 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | McAllen | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 55.9 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 85.9 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
McAllen, TX → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.3%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
23 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +25.5%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
McAllen, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from McAllen, TX to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | McAllen, TX | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, McAllen → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | −0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | −0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | −0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | −0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | −0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | McAllen, TX | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in McAllen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $78,200 | $110,340 | $87,932 (+12.4%) |
| Software Developers | $116,120 | $148,630 | $118,446 (+2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $64,470 | $94,690 | $75,460 (+17.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,540 | $174,550 | $139,102 (+72.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.