City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Corpus Christi, TX are 2.3% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $102,300 in Corpus Christi, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,117 a month in Corpus Christi, TX versus $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Corpus Christi, TX and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.5% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Sioux Falls, SD ($106,955 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.8% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Sioux Falls, SD: price level 90.6 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,799 in Sioux Falls | $102,251 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
76 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Corpus Christi → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $61,722 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $74,678 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $89,508 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $106,437 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $125,776 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $50,040 | $51,166 (−15.0%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $101,040 | $103,314 (−16.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $80,920 | $82,741 (+9.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $75,350 | $77,046 (−6.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.