City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 19.7% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $119,700 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $6,070 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.9% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Urban Honolulu, HI ($106,955 → $111,119), while prices change by +19.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.2% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,736 in Urban Honolulu | $83,517 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$6,070/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$6,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Corpus Christi → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $64,438 | −13.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $77,964 | −13.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $93,445 | −13.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $111,119 | −13.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $131,310 | −13.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $73,080 | $61,034 (+1.4%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $120,230 | $100,412 (−18.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $74,990 | $62,629 (−17.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $139,260 | $116,305 (+40.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.