Housing and tax tradeoff: McAllen, Texas
McAllen, Texas comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare McAllen vs El Paso on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 2 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
McAllenEl Paso
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: McAllen, Texas
McAllen, Texas is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on affordability, weaker on sunshine.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 142,722 | 681,124 |
| Population Density | N/A | 2.6k /sq mi |
| Center Elevation | 121 ft(37 m) | 3,717 ft(1,133 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $223,108 | $229,250 |
| Median Rent | $1,273 | $1,475 |
| Median Income | $56,326 | $55,710 |
| Rent Burden | 27% | 32% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 326 days/yr | 354 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 86°F | 78°F |
| Avg. Low | 68°F | 53°F |
| Comfort Score | 70/100Good | 72/100Great |
| Temp Swing | 24°F | 39°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 30"(76 cm) | 8"(20 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 0"(0 cm) | 3"(8 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 502024 modeled avg · 3 days > 100 | Typical: 492024 modeled avg · 24 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Walkability | 41 | 40 |
| Transit Score | N/A | 28 |
| Safety Score | 78 / 100 | 72 / 100 |
| School Rating | 8.9/10 | 8.5/10 |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | minimalMinimal | unknownNo Data |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 15%Cable: 93% | Fiber: 47%Cable: 94% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 32.9 years | 33.7 years |
| College Educated | 32% | 27% |
| Remote Workers | 9% | 7% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in McAllen. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in El Paso. One featured slot per city |
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