City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 15.1% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $115,100 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Sacramento, CA ($106,955 → $117,984), while prices change by +15.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.2% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,106 in Sacramento | $86,876 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,832/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% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.1%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
31 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Corpus Christi → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $68,419 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $82,780 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $99,218 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $117,984 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $139,422 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $103,390 | $89,821 (+49.2%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $139,640 | $121,314 (−1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $92,110 | $80,022 (+5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $171,460 | $148,958 (+80.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.