City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Virginia Beach, VA are 5.7% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $105,700 in Virginia Beach, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,955 → $108,019), while prices change by +5.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.4% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,687 in Virginia Beach | $94,619 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
52 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
87 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Corpus Christi → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $62,640 | −4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $75,788 | −4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $90,838 | −4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $108,019 | −4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $127,646 | −4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $97,440 | $126,030 | $119,249 (+22.4%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $129,090 | $122,144 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $79,450 | $75,175 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $89,450 | $84,637 (+2.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.