City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 11.2% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $111,200 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- Both are in TX, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.2% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Dallas, TX ($106,955 → $115,711), while prices change by +11.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,243 in Dallas | $89,893 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Dallas, TX → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Dallas, TX | Real change, Corpus Christi → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $67,100 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $81,186 | −2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $97,307 | −2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $115,711 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $136,736 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $97,440 | $133,610 | $120,106 (+23.3%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $133,290 | $119,819 (−3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $82,620 | $74,270 (−1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $101,420 | $91,170 (+10.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.