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CityLedger

Beaumont vs McAllen

Metro-area medians — Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX Metro Area vs McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX Metro Area — not the cities proper.

McAllen comes out ahead, winning 6 of the 9 clearly-decided measures.

McAllen is about 5% cheaper to live in, while Beaumont households earn about 16% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Beaumont.

Their widest everyday difference: McAllen has the tighter job market — 6.1% unemployment versus 6.8%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Beaumont, TX
$61,314
take-home / yr · 18% to tax
$68,091
real value after local prices
McAllen, TX
$61,314
take-home / yr · 18% to tax
$71,382
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, McAllen leaves you about $3,291/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure
Beaumont
McAllen
Livability (CityLedger)
28/100
22/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
90.0
85.9
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$73,046
$66,034
Median household income
$65,775
$56,720
Median rent
$1,134/mo
$971/mo
Median home value
$181,700
$164,200
Unemployment
6.8%
6.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher
20.6%
21.3%
Average commute
23.9 min
22.9 min
Air quality (median AQI)
54
54
Avg temperature
70°F
75°F

Choose Beaumont for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
  • + Median household income
Full Beaumont profile →

Choose McAllen for

  • + Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
  • + Median rent
  • + Median home value
  • + Unemployment
  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
  • + Average commute
Full McAllen profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Beaumont and McAllen on cost, income, size, and education.

Beaumont vs Longview→Beaumont vs Columbus→Beaumont vs Rockford→McAllen vs Brownsville→McAllen vs El Paso→McAllen vs Laredo→

Beaumont vs McAllen — frequently asked

Is Beaumont cheaper than McAllen?
McAllen is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 5% below Beaumont's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Beaumont or McAllen?
Beaumont has the higher median household income — $65,775 versus $56,720 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 16% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Beaumont or McAllen?
A paycheck stretches further in Beaumont. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $73,046 there versus $66,034 in McAllen.
Which has cheaper rent, Beaumont or McAllen?
McAllen has cheaper rent — a median of $971/mo versus $1,134/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).