City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Tallahassee, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tallahassee, FL are 1.3% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $101,300 in Tallahassee, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,204 a month in Tallahassee, FL versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Tallahassee, FL and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.5% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Tallahassee, FL ($106,955 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Tallahassee, FL: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Tallahassee, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 93.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,347 in Tallahassee | $98,671 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,204/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $46,520 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Tallahassee, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Tallahassee, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 78.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 87.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 93.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Tallahassee, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
65 Fair offer
Tallahassee, FL → Corpus Christi, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Tallahassee, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Tallahassee, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Tallahassee, FL | Real change, Corpus Christi → Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $61,722 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $74,678 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $89,508 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $106,437 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $125,776 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Tallahassee, FL | Tallahassee pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $55,020 | $54,289 (−9.8%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $121,800 | $120,182 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $61,840 | $61,018 (−19.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $79,430 | $78,375 (−5.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.