Cost of Living in Corpus Christi, Texas
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Corpus Christi, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 317,247
- Median household income
- $66,967
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 92.7
- Unemployment rate
- 4.7%
Is Corpus Christi a good place to live?
Corpus Christi sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 89 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job.
A typical worker in Corpus Christi keeps $7,234 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living7% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,237 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- TaxesNo state income tax on wages
Cost of living in Corpus Christi
Prices in the Corpus Christi, TX area run 7% below the US average. Utilities is the biggest difference, at 19% below the US average.
- Housing15% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)6% below the US average
- Utilities19% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)4% below the US average
- All items7% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,237 | $14,844 |
| Food | $463 | $5,556 |
| Transportation | $366 | $4,392 |
| Healthcare | $339 | $4,068 |
| Utilities | $211 | $2,532 |
| Total before taxes | $2,616 | $31,392 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Corpus Christi | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,125 | $1,066 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,237 | $1,176 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,495 | $1,421 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,955 | $1,855 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,205 | $2,087 |
Living in Corpus Christi
How Corpus Christi compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Corpus Christi | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,967 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $234,000 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,269 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 43% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 15.2% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 27.1% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 37.3 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 21.2 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 6% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 1.3% | 3.7% |
Home internet
6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Corpus Christi, led by Spectrum, T-Mobile, Astound Broadband, Verizon. Fiber reaches 61.9% of homes and 69.2% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Corpus Christi
Pros
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 21.2 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- No state income tax. Texas doesn't tax wages, so more of each paycheck stays with you.
- Lower cost of living. Prices are 7% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Affordable homes to buy. The median home is worth $234,000, against $360,600 nationally.
Cons
- Lower incomes. Median household income is $66,967, against $81,604 nationally.
What your job keeps in Corpus Christi
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $45,350
- Federal income tax
- −$3,262
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,469
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$14,844
- Everyday costs
- −$16,541
a year, or $603 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Corpus Christi, TX. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Corpus Christi, TX area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Project manager | $90,320 | $40,986 |
| Registered nurse | $82,690 | $35,617 |
| Teacher | $61,435 | $20,158 |
| Welder | $59,450 | $18,563 |
| Plumber | $59,390 | $18,515 |
| Truck driver | $49,000 | $10,166 |
| Carpenter | $47,200 | $8,720 |
| Auto mechanic | $44,710 | $6,720 |
| Medical assistant | $37,070 | $581 |
| Nursing assistant | $35,300 | −$841 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Corpus Christi on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Accountant $30,615
- Civil engineer $44,390
- Data scientist $57,257
- Dental assistant $1,914
- Dental hygienist $36,687
- Dentist $103,342
- Diesel mechanic $13,558
- Electrician $18,531
- Financial analyst $39,227
- Firefighter $9,925
- HVAC technician $12,384
- Lawyer $68,176
- Licensed practical nurse $18,853
- Lineman $32,157
- Mechanical engineer $64,867
- Nurse practitioner $71,341
- Occupational therapist $50,715
- Paralegal $12,006
- Paramedic $9,154
- Pharmacist $72,940
- Pharmacy technician $7,443
- Physical therapist $52,072
- Physician assistant $71,716
- Police officer $29,082
- Radiologic technologist $30,404
- Respiratory therapist $32,409
- Social worker $16,268
- Software engineer $64,348
- Speech-language pathologist $39,051
- Veterinarian $66,097
Compare Corpus Christi with other cities
Compare Corpus Christi with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Corpus Christi
2 licensed interstate movers are based in Corpus Christi (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Corpus Christi, TX a good place to live?
Corpus Christi sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 89 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job. The typical worker here earns $45,350 and keeps $7,234 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Corpus Christi?
Prices in the Corpus Christi, TX area are 7% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,237 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,378 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Corpus Christi?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $36,400 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Corpus Christi, TX area earns $45,350.
What is the average rent in Corpus Christi?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,125 for a studio, $1,237 for a 1-bedroom and $1,495 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Corpus Christi at $1,269 a month (2024).
Does Corpus Christi have a state or city income tax?
Texas has no state income tax on wages. Corpus Christi has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Corpus Christi?
6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Corpus Christi, led by Spectrum, T-Mobile, Astound Broadband, Verizon. 61.9% of homes can get fiber and 69.2% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate