City comparison
McAllen, TX vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 16.8% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $116,800 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from McAllen, TX to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +16.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.0% in real buying power.
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| McAllen, TX | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 85.9 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,824 in Spokane | $85,599 in McAllen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $847/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $35,830 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | McAllen | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 55.9 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 85.9 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
McAllen, TX → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
McAllen, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from McAllen, TX to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | McAllen, TX | Spokane, WA | Real change, McAllen → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −14.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −14.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −14.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −14.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −14.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | McAllen, TX | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in McAllen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,110 | $98,800 | $84,572 (+34.0%) |
| Software Developers | $116,120 | $130,690 | $111,869 (−3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $64,470 | $86,350 | $73,915 (+14.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,540 | $111,750 | $95,657 (+18.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.