City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 8.8% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $108,800 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT 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 Salt Lake City, UT ($106,955 → $106,437), while prices change by +8.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.6% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (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 | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,845 in Salt Lake City | $91,874 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
43 Weak offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Corpus Christi → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $61,722 | −8.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $74,678 | −8.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $89,508 | −8.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $106,437 | −8.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $125,776 | −8.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $77,920 | $71,588 (+18.9%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $129,600 | $119,068 (−3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $82,100 | $75,428 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $85,890 | $78,910 (−4.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.