City comparison
McAllen, TX vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 10.7% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $110,700 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $995 a month in St. Louis, MO versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in St. Louis, MO and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from McAllen, TX to St. Louis, MO ($106,437 → $109,137), while prices change by +10.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.4% in real buying power.
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| McAllen, TX | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 85.9 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,703 in St. Louis | $90,332 in McAllen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $847/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $35,830 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | McAllen | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 55.9 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 85.9 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
McAllen, TX → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
39 Weak offer
St. Louis, MO → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.7%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
McAllen, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from McAllen, TX to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | McAllen, TX | St. Louis, MO | Real change, McAllen → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,288 | −7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,573 | −7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,779 | −7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,137 | −7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,967 | −7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | McAllen, TX | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in McAllen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,110 | $60,650 | $54,786 (−13.2%) |
| Software Developers | $116,120 | $129,030 | $116,556 (+0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $64,470 | $78,880 | $71,254 (+10.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,540 | $83,180 | $75,138 (−6.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.