City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 11.9% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $111,900 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.9% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Olympia, WA ($106,955 → $119,630), while prices change by +11.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.0% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,869 in Olympia | $89,390 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
37 Weak offer
Olympia, WA → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Olympia, WA | Real change, Corpus Christi → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $69,373 | −0.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $83,935 | −0.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $100,602 | −0.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $119,630 | −0.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $141,367 | −0.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $104,650 | $93,547 (+55.4%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $124,060 | $110,898 (−10.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $94,470 | $84,447 (+11.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $125,020 | $111,756 (+35.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.