City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 21.5% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $121,500 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in New York, NY than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.3% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to New York, NY ($106,955 → $125,431), while prices change by +21.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.5% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,465 in New York | $82,328 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.7%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | New York, NY | Real change, Corpus Christi → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $72,737 | −3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $88,005 | −3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $105,481 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $125,431 | −3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $148,222 | −3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | New York, NY | New York pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $96,900 | $79,776 (+32.5%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $166,830 | $137,348 (+11.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $105,650 | $86,980 (+15.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $119,720 | $98,563 (+19.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.