City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 6.4% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $106,400 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, 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 +14.8% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Houston, TX ($106,955 → $122,749), while prices change by +6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.8% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,429 in Houston | $93,959 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,323/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
50 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Houston, TX | Real change, Corpus Christi → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $71,181 | +7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $86,123 | +7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $103,225 | +7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $122,749 | +7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $145,052 | +7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $64,500 | $60,604 (+0.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $129,440 | $121,621 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $85,090 | $79,950 (+5.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $99,830 | $93,799 (+13.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.