City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Fort Collins, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fort Collins, CO are 9.1% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $109,100 in Fort Collins, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Fort Collins, CO and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Fort Collins, CO than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.0% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Fort Collins, CO ($106,955 → $118,675), while prices change by +9.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.7% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,126 in Fort Collins | $91,637 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,537/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
43 Weak offer
Fort Collins, CO → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Corpus Christi → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $68,819 | +1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $83,265 | +1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $99,800 | +1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $118,675 | +1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $140,239 | +1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $62,930 | $57,667 (−4.2%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $133,990 | $122,785 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $89,340 | $81,869 (+8.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $97,600 | $89,438 (+8.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.