City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Grand Rapids, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Grand Rapids, MI are 3.1% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $103,100 in Grand Rapids, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI 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 Grand Rapids, MI ($106,955 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.5% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,102 in Grand Rapids | $96,991 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,278/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $47,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
59 Fair offer
Grand Rapids, MI → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Grand Rapids, MI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, Corpus Christi → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $61,722 | −3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $74,678 | −3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $89,508 | −3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $106,437 | −3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $125,776 | −3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $61,900 | $60,037 (−0.3%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $107,520 | $104,285 (−15.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $76,270 | $73,975 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $83,920 | $81,395 (−1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.