Metro Life Score
Corpus Christi, TX
Below-median composite Life Score — grade B-, 49th percentile of the national corpus.
- 49.7
- Life Score / 100
- B-
- Grade (curved)
- #196
- of 387 metros
- 49%
- composite percentile
Data updated August 2026
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The verdict
Corpus Christi is below-median composite Life Score — #196 of 387 (49.7/100, grade B-, 49th percentile). Carried by environment at 85/100; held back most by wages at 33/100.
- 49th
- composite percentile
- #196
- of 387 peers
- 58th
- cost dimension percentile
- 33rd
- wages dimension percentile
Life Score shape · MID · ENVIRO-LED · signature wages
Corpus Christi: wage lag defines the peer set
Corpus Christi is a MID-band metro where wages sit at only the 33rd percentile (LOW) while cost is MID (58th) and composite #196. Wages at 33/100 is the clearest drag; Environment (85/100) is the offset. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, Corpus Christi, TX ranks #196 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #164 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.
BEA RPP 92.7 (rent-RPP 84.9). BLS median salary $61,494, 183,520 jobs (Fast Food and Counter Workers, Home Health and Personal Care Aides, General and Operations Managers). HUD 2BR FMR $1,407/mo (studio $1,059).
FBI UCR (TX): 395 violent, 2058 property/100K. NCES: 14.4:1 ratio, 11.1% charter. DOL infant childcare $7,566/yr. EPA: 70 Superfund sites (TX).
Where Corpus Christi sits among all US metros
Composite Life Score vs the national field
50 49th percentile higher than 49% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · August 2026
How the 49.7 is built
Corpus Christi's Life Score, decomposed
Dimension detail
How Corpus Christi scores, dimension by dimension
Score Breakdown
Dimension Scores
Key Data Points
Geography used: crime, schools, childcare, and environment cards above are TX state-level when metro-specific feeds are unavailable, see the scope key at the top of this page.
Compare Corpus Christi With...
Ranking Context
Corpus Christi outranks 49% of U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #193 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 49.8 | B- |
| #194 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | 49.8 | B- |
| #195 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 49.8 | B- |
| #196 | Corpus Christi, TX | 49.7 | B- |
| #197 | Bangor, ME | 49.7 | B- |
| #198 | Bloomington, IN | 49.7 | B- |
| #199 | Harrisonburg, VA | 49.7 | B- |
Quality vs. Affordability
Corpus Christi, TX's quality rank (bottom 50% lowest-quality) and affordability rank (top 42% most affordable) sit close together -- an unusually proportionate metro where overall quality and cost-of-living move together.
TX Metro Scores
Read with Corpus Christi
Nearest composite peers and cost poles for Corpus Christi (MID · ENVIRO-LED · MID/LOW), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.
Bangor, ME
ABS(composite) peer at 49.7 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · ENVIRO-LED · MID/LOW.
Bloomington, IN
ABS(composite) peer at 49.7 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · ENVIRO-LED · MID/LOW.
Harrisonburg, VA
ABS(composite) peer at 49.7 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · ENVIRO-LED · MID/LOW.
Springfield, MO
ABS(composite) peer at 49.7 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · ENVIRO-LED · MID/LOW.
Utica-Rome, NY (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 58/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp MID vs this metro's MID.
Wausau, WI (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 58/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp MID vs this metro's MID.
Corpus Christi, TX relocation guide
Stamp-branched guide for MID · ENVIRO-LED · MID/LOW - how to read federal Life Score inputs before a move.
Using Corpus Christi's middle-third Life Score
Corpus Christi scores 49.7/100 overall, but Environment (85.0) and Wages (33.2) sit 51.8 points apart, so decide which of the two matters more to you before leaning on the total.
- Environment is the strongest of Corpus Christi's seven dimensions (weighted 10% in the composite); if it is your priority, this is where the metro earns its rank. See all seven dimensions
- Wages is the weakest (weighted 20% in the composite); if it is a dealbreaker, weigh it before the ranking does. Rank metros on the composite
- Beaumont is the nearest comparison this page can offer; put the two side by side on the same seven dimensions. Compare with Beaumont
A middle-third composite is a weighted blend; individual dimensions can sit well above or below it.