City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 6.0% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $106,000 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,213 a month in Merced, CA versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +24.4% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Merced, CA ($106,955 → $133,060), while prices change by +6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +17.3% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (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 | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,047 in Merced | $94,298 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
51 Fair offer
Merced, CA → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Merced, CA | Real change, Corpus Christi → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $77,161 | +17.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $93,358 | +17.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $111,896 | +17.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $133,060 | +17.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $157,236 | +17.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $100,120 | $94,411 (+56.8%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $132,120 | $124,586 (+0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $80,420 | $75,834 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $131,620 | $124,115 (+50.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.