City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 2.5% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $102,500 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,117 a month in Corpus Christi, TX versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Corpus Christi, TX and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.8% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Lansing, MI ($106,955 → $117,402), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.1% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,503 in Lansing | $97,558 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
61 Fair offer
Lansing, MI → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Lansing, MI | Real change, Corpus Christi → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $68,081 | +7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $82,372 | +7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $98,729 | +7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $117,402 | +7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $138,734 | +7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $72,930 | $71,149 (+18.2%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $97,120 | $94,748 (−23.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $79,210 | $77,275 (+2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $84,320 | $82,261 (−0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.