City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Corpus Christi, TX are 5.6% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $105,600 in Corpus Christi, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,117 a month in Corpus Christi, TX versus $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Corpus Christi, TX and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,955 → $107,510), while prices change by −5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.2% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,660 in Tuscaloosa | $105,642 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
86 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Corpus Christi → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $62,344 | +6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $75,431 | +6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $90,410 | +6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $107,510 | +6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $127,044 | +6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $60,220 | $63,617 (+5.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $104,870 | $110,786 (−10.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $71,690 | $75,735 (+0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $75,250 | $79,495 (−3.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.