City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 19.9% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $119,900 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.9% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Seattle, WA ($106,955 → $119,630), while prices change by +19.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.7% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (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 | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,922 in Seattle | $83,387 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Seattle, WA | Real change, Corpus Christi → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $69,373 | −6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $83,935 | −6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $100,602 | −6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $119,630 | −6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $141,367 | −6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $97,440 | $161,780 | $134,904 (+38.4%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $167,280 | $139,491 (+12.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $99,370 | $82,862 (+9.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $128,260 | $106,953 (+29.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.