City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Durham, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Durham, NC are 5.3% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $105,300 in Durham, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Durham, NC than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.9% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Durham, NC ($106,955 → $111,147), while prices change by +5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.3% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Durham, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 97.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,289 in Durham | $94,977 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $60,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Durham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 98.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 97.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Durham, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
53 Fair offer
Durham, NC → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Durham, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Durham, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Durham, NC | Real change, Corpus Christi → Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $64,453 | −1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $77,983 | −1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $93,468 | −1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $111,147 | −1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $131,342 | −1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Durham, NC | Durham pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $51,400 | $48,818 (−18.9%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $135,620 | $128,808 (+4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $85,090 | $80,816 (+6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | not published | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.