City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 6.0% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $106,000 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Lancaster, PA ($106,955 → $108,592), while prices change by +6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.2% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (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 | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,028 in Lancaster | $94,315 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
51 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Corpus Christi → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $62,972 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $76,190 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $91,320 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $108,592 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $128,323 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $78,360 | $73,905 (+22.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $104,740 | $98,785 (−20.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $76,110 | $71,783 (−5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $89,620 | $84,525 (+2.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.