City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 4.7% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $104,700 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.7% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Reading, PA ($106,955 → $117,284), while prices change by +4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.7% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,736 in Reading | $95,478 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,237/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
55 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Reading, PA | Real change, Corpus Christi → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $68,013 | +4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $82,289 | +4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $98,630 | +4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $117,284 | +4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $138,595 | +4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $79,860 | $76,249 (+26.6%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $120,920 | $115,452 (−6.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $75,550 | $72,134 (−4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $98,470 | $94,017 (+13.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.