Cost of living in McAllen research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means McAllen is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Texas, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in McAllen is 79, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in McAllen is 0.8x lower than the national average.
McAllen ranks as the #45 cheapest in Texas out of 405.
McAllen ranks as the #155 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in McAllen is $138,200.
The median income in McAllen is $52,422.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, McAllen has an overall cost of living index of 79, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Texas, McAllen has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Texas's index of 92.
The standard of living in McAllen ranks as #45 most affordable out of the 405 places we measured in Texas. By definition, that implies McAllen ranks as the #360 most expensive place in the Lone Star State.
For more reading on life in McAllen, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in McAllen. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in McAllen is 79.
The Groceries index in McAllen is 88.
The Health index in McAllen is 71.
The Housing index in McAllen is 69.
The Transportation index in McAllen is 87.
The Utilities index in McAllen is 103.
Living Expense | McAllen | Texas | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 79 | 92 | 100 | |
Services | 79 | 96 | 100 | |
Groceries | 88 | 93 | 100 | |
Health | 71 | 93 | 100 | |
Housing | 69 | 84 | 100 | |
Transportation | 87 | 92 | 100 | |
Utilities | 103 | 104 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Texas, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in McAllen is $138,200.
The Median Rent in McAllen is $878.
The Median Income in McAllen is $52,422.
The Home Value To Income in McAllen is 2.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in McAllen is 0.2x.
Statistic | McAllen | Texas | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $138,200 | $202,600 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $878 | $1,146 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $52,422 | $67,321 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.6x | 3.0x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.2x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around McAllen. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Edinburg, TX has a cost of living index of 81, 1.0x McAllen.
Mission, TX has a cost of living index of 79, 1.0x McAllen.
Pharr, TX has a cost of living index of 75, 0.9x McAllen.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. McAllen |
---|---|---|---|
Edinburg, TX | 98,759 | 81 | 1.0x |
Mission, TX | 85,311 | 79 | 1.0x |
Pharr, TX | 78,997 | 75 | 0.9x |
Weslaco, TX | 40,393 | 74 | 0.9x |
San Juan, TX | 35,384 | 76 | 1.0x |
Alamo, TX | 19,644 | 75 | 0.9x |
Alton, TX | 17,993 | 77 | 1.0x |
Donna, TX | 16,743 | 70 | 0.9x |
Hidalgo, TX | 13,939 | 77 | 1.0x |
La Homa, TX | 11,924 | 75 | 0.9x |