Is McAllen cheaper than Shreveport?

They are about even — the overall cost of living in the McAllen and Shreveport metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.

Which has higher household income, McAllen or Shreveport?

Household incomes are similar — $56,720 in the McAllen metro versus $57,514 in Shreveport (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Does a paycheck go further in McAllen or Shreveport?

It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($66,034 versus $67,850).

Which has cheaper rent, McAllen or Shreveport?

Rents are close — $971/mo in the McAllen metro versus $990/mo in Shreveport (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

McAllen vs Shreveport

Metro-area medians — McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX Metro Area vs Shreveport-Bossier City, LA Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Shreveport comes out ahead, winning 4 of the 6 clearly-decided measures.

McAllen and Shreveport are closely matched on both cost of living and household income. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches about as far in either.

Their widest everyday difference: Shreveport is more educated — 26.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree versus 21.3%.

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.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

McAllen, TX

$61,314

take-home / yr · 18% to tax

$71,382

real value after local prices

Shreveport, LA

$59,439

take-home / yr · 21% to tax

$70,121

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, McAllen leaves you about $1,261/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

McAllen

Shreveport

Livability (CityLedger)

22/100

28/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

85.9

84.8

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$66,034

$67,850

Median household income

$56,720

$57,514

Median rent

$971/mo

$990/mo

Median home value

$164,200

$195,300

Unemployment

6.1%

6.3%

Bachelor's degree or higher

21.3%

26.7%

Average commute

22.9 min

22.1 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

75°F

67°F

Choose McAllen for

+ Median home value
+ Unemployment

Full McAllen profile →

Choose Shreveport for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Bachelor's degree or higher
+ Average commute
+ Air quality (median AQI)

Full Shreveport profile →

More comparisons

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

McAllen vs Brownsville→McAllen vs El Paso→McAllen vs Laredo→Shreveport vs Monroe→Shreveport vs Lake Charles→Shreveport vs Joplin→

McAllen vs Shreveport — frequently asked

Is McAllen cheaper than Shreveport?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the McAllen and Shreveport metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, McAllen or Shreveport?: Household incomes are similar — $56,720 in the McAllen metro versus $57,514 in Shreveport (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).
Does a paycheck go further in McAllen or Shreveport?: It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($66,034 versus $67,850).
Which has cheaper rent, McAllen or Shreveport?: Rents are close — $971/mo in the McAllen metro versus $990/mo in Shreveport (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).