City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 7.9% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $107,900 in Palm Bay, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.3% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Palm Bay, FL ($106,955 → $107,228), while prices change by +7.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.1% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (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 | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,914 in Palm Bay | $92,666 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
46 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Corpus Christi → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $62,181 | −7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $75,233 | −7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $90,173 | −7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $107,228 | −7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $126,711 | −7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $62,510 | $57,926 (−3.8%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $131,760 | $122,097 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $75,860 | $70,297 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $80,900 | $74,967 (−9.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.