City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Kennewick, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 8.0% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $108,000 in Kennewick, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,268 a month in Kennewick, WA versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kennewick, WA and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.5% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Kennewick, WA ($106,955 → $106,437), while prices change by +8.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (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 | Kennewick, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 100.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,994 in Kennewick | $92,598 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,268/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $57,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Kennewick-Richland, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Kennewick |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 94.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 93.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 100.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
46 Fair offer
Kennewick, WA → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Kennewick, WA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Kennewick, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Kennewick, WA | Real change, Corpus Christi → Kennewick |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $61,722 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $74,678 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $89,508 | −7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $106,437 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $125,776 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Kennewick, WA | Kennewick pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $100,380 | $92,950 (+54.4%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $127,800 | $118,340 (−4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $93,280 | $86,375 (+14.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $106,410 | $98,533 (+19.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.