City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 2.6% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $102,600 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,117 a month in Corpus Christi, TX versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Corpus Christi, TX and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to St. Louis, MO ($106,955 → $109,137), while prices change by +2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.6% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,608 in St. Louis | $97,458 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
61 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Corpus Christi → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $63,288 | −0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $76,573 | −0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $91,779 | −0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $109,137 | −0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $128,967 | −0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $60,650 | $59,108 (−1.8%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $129,030 | $125,750 (+1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $78,880 | $76,875 (+1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $83,180 | $81,066 (−2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.