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CityLedger

Killeen vs McAllen

Metro-area medians — Killeen-Temple, TX Metro Area vs McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Killeen comes out ahead, winning 6 of the 10 clearly-decided measures.

McAllen is about 6% cheaper to live in, while Killeen households earn about 21% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Killeen.

Their widest everyday difference: Killeen has cleaner air on a typical day — a median AQI of 46 versus 54.

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.

Killeen, TX
$61,314
take-home / yr · 18% to tax
$67,280
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 $4,102/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
Killeen
McAllen
Livability (CityLedger)
35/100
22/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
91.1
85.9
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$75,127
$66,034
Median household income
$68,465
$56,720
Median rent
$1,283/mo
$971/mo
Median home value
$268,400
$164,200
Unemployment
5.5%
6.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher
24.9%
21.3%
Average commute
24.5 min
22.9 min
Air quality (median AQI)
46
54
Avg temperature
—
75°F

Choose Killeen for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
  • + Median household income
  • + Unemployment
  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
  • + Air quality (median AQI)
Full Killeen profile →

Choose McAllen for

  • + Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
  • + Median rent
  • + Median home value
  • + Average commute
Full McAllen profile →

More comparisons

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

Killeen vs Fayetteville→Killeen vs El Paso→Killeen vs Beaumont→McAllen vs Brownsville→McAllen vs El Paso→McAllen vs Laredo→

Killeen vs McAllen — frequently asked

Is Killeen cheaper than McAllen?
McAllen is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 6% below Killeen's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Killeen or McAllen?
Killeen has the higher median household income — $68,465 versus $56,720 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 21% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Killeen or McAllen?
A paycheck stretches further in Killeen. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $75,127 there versus $66,034 in McAllen.
Which has cheaper rent, Killeen or McAllen?
McAllen has cheaper rent — a median of $971/mo versus $1,283/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).