Source-led head-to-head · 2024 ACS
Moving from McKinney to Los Angeles
Based on 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, McKinney, TX has a higher median household income ($124,215) and lower median home value ($471,800) than Los Angeles, CA ($81,939 income, $921,200 home value), while both cities have similar median gross rents (~$1,900/month). McKinney’s shorter commute (30 vs. 33 minutes) and absence of a state income tax in the model (vs. LA’s 9.30% reference) improve its effective affordability. However, LA’s larger population and economic scale may offer different opportunities not captured in these metrics. The trade-off centers on income-to-housing ratios, commute efficiency, and tax exposure, with McKinney showing stronger raw affordability indicators.
Corridor Direction & Trade-off Delta
⇄ Switch to Los Angeles → McKinneyMoving from McKinney to Los Angeles
Median Rent Impact
+$32/mo
Moving to Los Angeles costs ~$384 more/yr in rent.
State Tax Treatment
+9.3%
~$9,300 more state tax on a $100k salary in California.
Daily Commute Difference
+3 min / day
Difference of ~25 hours per year spent commuting based on 2024 ACS midpoint averages.
Your move
Compare the life behind the offer.
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Search all 32,330 U.S. Census places directly below.Instant results use official 2024 ACS place data. Places with incomplete required signals remain visible in search but cannot be selected.
Directional estimate using ACS citywide benchmarks. Verified profiles may include a simplified state-tax reference; automatically added profiles exclude state tax until an official reference is approved. Exact tax, benefits, debt, housing, insurance, and personal circumstances may materially change the result.
LIVE VERDICTMCK → LAX
46/ 100
The offer needs work
Your modeled annual room improves.Estimated annual life delta+$1,584after essentials; unverified state tax excluded
Best gainA large labor market with a household-income benchmark above New York's
Watch closelyA $921,200 ownership benchmark and a conservative marginal California tax reference
The short answer
In the uniform one-person renting baseline, McKinney is about $384 lower per year. This is not a verdict by itself: replace city medians with the actual offer, address, household, benefits, insurance, and tax details before deciding.
McKinney household income$124,215
Los Angeles household income$81,939
McKinney gross rent$1,901
Los Angeles gross rent$1,933
Housing, income, and tax reference
| Metric | McKinney | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 ACS population | 210,600 | 3,857,263 |
| Median household income | $124,215 | $81,939 |
| Median gross rent | $1,901 | $1,933 |
| Median owner-occupied home value | $471,800 | $921,200 |
| State-tax treatment | Excluded | 9.3% simplified |
Time and daily routine
The commute-time distribution produces a weighted one-way estimate of about 30 minutes in McKinney and 33 minutes in Los Angeles. This citywide estimate cannot capture a specific route, remote-work schedule, or transit choice, so the calculator converts it into an explicit time difference instead of hiding it in a subjective lifestyle score.
Decision checklist
- Median household income disparity
- Home value-to-income ratio
- Commute time difference
- State income tax treatment in model
What each city wins
McKinney
Median home value is nearly 3.8 times median household income.. Watch higher income supports housing costs but may reflect tradeoffs in commute or non-housing expenses..
Los Angeles
A large labor market with a household-income benchmark above New York's. Watch a $921,200 ownership benchmark and a conservative marginal california tax reference.
Frequently asked questions
How does housing affordability compare between McKinney and Los Angeles based on income and home values?
McKinney’s median home value is about 3.8 times its median household income, while Los Angeles’ is roughly 11.2 times, indicating significantly better income-to-housing alignment in McKinney per 2024 ACS data.
What role does commute time and tax assumptions play in the cost-of-living comparison?
McKinney’s 3-minute shorter commute reduces time-related costs, and the model excludes state income tax for Texas while applying a 9.30% reference for California, enhancing McKinney’s net effective income in the comparison.
Source boundary: Core figures come from the 2024 ACS five-year tables linked on each city profile. Commute is derived from B08303 midpoint weighting. A state-tax value without an approved official reference is excluded and disclosed. This comparison becomes index-eligible only after its unique analysis clears the content quality gate.