City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 4.7% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $104,700 in Rochester, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,256 a month in Rochester, NY versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.2% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Rochester, NY ($106,955 → $107,182), while prices change by +4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.3% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,709 in Rochester | $95,503 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,256/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Rochester, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
55 Fair offer
Rochester, NY → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Rochester, NY | Real change, Corpus Christi → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $62,155 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $75,202 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $90,135 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $107,182 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $126,657 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $62,840 | $60,014 (−0.3%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $122,770 | $117,249 (−5.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $80,890 | $77,252 (+2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $86,570 | $82,677 (−0.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.