City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Santa Maria, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Maria, CA are 17.4% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $117,400 in Santa Maria, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,746 a month in Santa Maria, CA versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.0% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Santa Maria, CA ($106,955 → $124,085), while prices change by +17.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.2% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Santa Maria, CA: price level 108.8 (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 | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,402 in Santa Maria | $85,177 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $2,746/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% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.8%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Corpus Christi → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $71,957 | −1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $87,061 | −1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $104,349 | −1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $124,085 | −1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $146,632 | −1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $97,440 | $130,770 | $111,386 (+14.3%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $158,290 | $134,827 (+9.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $91,610 | $78,031 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $137,360 | $116,999 (+41.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.