City comparison
Akron, OH vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 7.1% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $107,100 in Palm Bay, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Akron, OH than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.5% moving from Akron, OH to Palm Bay, FL ($111,138 → $107,228), while prices change by +7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.9% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,106 in Palm Bay | $93,365 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
48 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Akron → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,181 | −9.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $75,233 | −9.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $90,173 | −9.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $107,228 | −9.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $126,711 | −9.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $62,510 | $58,363 (−25.7%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $131,760 | $123,018 (+16.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $75,860 | $70,827 (−9.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $80,900 | $75,533 (−6.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.