Corpus Christi, TX vs. New Orleans, LA
Median rent is $1,230 a month in Corpus Christi, TX and $1,211 in New Orleans, LA. Household income is $66,325 against $55,339. Both cities are read from the same ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates and the same BEA Regional Price Parities 2023, so the two columns below are directly comparable.
A green or red badge means the second city is higher or lower, not better or worse: a lower rent is good for a tenant, a lower household income is not. For the price level and
the share of income the raw values are shown, because a percentage difference between two
percentages is easy to misread.
What the gap means
Occupation wages in both metros
May 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Metropolitan areas may differ from city boundaries.
| Occupation | Corpus Christi, TX median | New Orleans, LA median | vs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $25,630 | $25,470 | -0.6% |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,200 | $30,400 | +4.1% |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $81,850 | -1.0% |
| General and Operations Managers | $90,600 | $105,110 | +16.0% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $22,820 | $16,640 | -27.1% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $30,690 | $30,020 | -2.2% |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,070 | $39,300 | +6.0% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $49,000 | $51,540 | +5.2% |
Metropolitan areas and cover every industry together, so the two columns may describe wider areas than the city limits used for rent and income.
Corpus Christi, TX vs New Orleans, LA: frequently asked questions
Is New Orleans, LA more expensive than Corpus Christi, TX?
Overall prices are almost identical: a regional price level of 91.1 in New Orleans, LA against 91.3 in Corpus Christi, TX.
How much do I need to earn in New Orleans, LA to keep a $100,000 lifestyle from Corpus Christi, TX?
About $99,800. Adjusting $100,000 by the BEA regional price levels of the two areas (91.3 in Corpus Christi, TX, 91.1 in New Orleans, LA) gives the salary with the same purchasing power. Taxes and personal spending habits are not included.
Is rent cheaper in Corpus Christi, TX or New Orleans, LA?
The median gross rent is $1,230 a month in Corpus Christi, TX and $1,211 in New Orleans, LA, a difference of $19 a month or $228 a year.
Where are household incomes higher, Corpus Christi, TX or New Orleans, LA?
The median household income is $66,325 in Corpus Christi, TX and $55,339 in New Orleans, LA. Rent takes 22.3% of the median income in Corpus Christi, TX and 26.3% in New Orleans, LA.
What salary do I need to afford the median rent in New Orleans, LA?
About $48,400 a year, the gross income that keeps the median rent of $1,211 a month at 30% of income. The same rule gives $49,200 in Corpus Christi, TX.
More comparisons with Corpus Christi, TX
More comparisons with New Orleans, LA
Definitions used on this page
- Salary needed for the median rent
- Twelve months of median gross rent divided by 0.30: the income that keeps the median rent at 30% of gross pay.
- Price level
- BEA regional price parity for the metro area where one is published, otherwise for the state. The national average is 100.
- Same standard of living
- A salary in Corpus Christi, TX converted into New Orleans, LA at the ratio of the two price levels. It adjusts for prices only, not for taxes or for what either city offers.
- Buying power
- One hundred divided by the price level: what a dollar buys locally relative to the national average.
Sources
- Census Bureau — ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates
- Census Bureau — ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates
- BEA — BEA Regional Price Parities 2023
Margins of error are published for every Census figure. Read the methodology before reading a small gap between two cities as a real difference.
Full detail for each city: Corpus Christi, TX · New Orleans, LA