City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 11.3% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $111,300 in Trenton, NJ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,545 a month in Trenton, NJ versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,180 a year higher in Trenton, NJ than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.3% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Trenton, NJ ($106,955 → $125,431), while prices change by +11.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.3% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Trenton, NJ: price level 103.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,340 in Trenton | $89,815 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,180/yr.
38 Weak offer
Trenton, NJ → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$4,180/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Corpus Christi → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $72,737 | +5.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $88,005 | +5.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $105,481 | +5.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $125,431 | +5.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $148,222 | +5.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $77,850 | $69,921 (+16.1%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $128,770 | $115,655 (−6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $99,550 | $89,411 (+18.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $99,990 | $89,806 (+8.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.