Houston, TX vs McAllen, TX
Simple answer
You'd likely save $480 a month in McAllen.
This is the HUD 2-bedroom fair-market rent for October 2026 through September 2027. It is not your lease.
The largest cost gap in this pair is housing prices. The BEA housing price parity differs by 48.6 points (Houston 104.5, McAllen 55.9).
Texas has no tax on wages. Texas has no tax on wages. Combined sales tax differs by 0.0 percentage points, higher in Texas. The effective property tax gap is 0.00 percentage points, higher in Texas.
Both metros are in Texas, so benefit eligibility in this tool does not change with the move. Rent and price levels still differ.
A $75,000 salary in Houston lines up with about $65,317 in McAllen on the 2024 all-items price parity. Census median gross rent and the commute figures are 2024. Fair Market Rents are fiscal year 2027.
Houston
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
- $1,497
- HUD area
- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
- Census median gross rent
- $1,469
- All-items price parity
- 98.6
- Goods price parity
- 100.6
- Utilities price parity
- 95.3
- Mean commute
- 31.1 min
- Median household income
- $81,417
McAllen
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
- $1,017
- HUD area
- McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA
- Census median gross rent
- $971
- All-items price parity
- 85.9
- Goods price parity
- 93.8
- Utilities price parity
- 81.2
- Mean commute
- 22.9 min
- Median household income
- $56,720
Equivalent salary
The first number keeps the same place in the national price level. The second also runs 2026 federal income tax, employee Social Security and Medicare, and a simplified state income tax. Groceries use the BEA goods price parity, not a grocery receipt.
$65,317
Salary in McAllen that matches the 2024 all-items regional price parity.
$64,045
Gross salary in McAllen whose after-tax pay buys the same basket, using price parities.
$50,952
Scales the salary by the ratio of HUD 2-bedroom Fair Market Rents. Rent is not the whole budget.
Taxes on the two sides of the move
| Tax | Texas | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax on wages | No wage tax | No wage tax |
| Combined sales tax, Jan 1, 2026 | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Effective property tax, ACS 2024 median / median | 1.31% | 1.31% |
On a $400,000 home, the state median effective rate implies about $5,246 a year in Texas and $5,246 in Texas. That illustration is not a local bill. Childcare prices are not in the verified dataset for these metros.
Benefits if you land in Texas
Houston and McAllen are in Texas. The benefit rules in this tool are statewide, so the statuses match. Rent and prices still differ.
| Program | Houston | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| SNAP | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Medicaid and CHIP | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| WIC | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| School meals | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| LIHEAP | Maybe | Maybe |
| Earned Income Tax Credit | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Child Tax Credit | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Marketplace premium tax credits | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Lifeline phone and internet | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| SSI | Unlikely | Unlikely |
Related comparisons
From Houston
The eight largest 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent gaps from Houston.
- Houston and San Francisco · rent gap $2,200
- Houston and San Jose · rent gap $1,775
- Houston and Boston · rent gap $1,511
- Houston and New York · rent gap $1,474
- Houston and Los Angeles · rent gap $1,467
- Houston and San Diego · rent gap $1,326
- Houston and Miami · rent gap $1,067
- Houston and Seattle · rent gap $1,052
Nearby metros
How the salary and tax math works · The reverse city order redirects to this address.