City comparison
Akron, OH vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 7.3% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $107,300 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, 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 Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Akron, OH to Port St. Lucie, FL ($111,138 → $113,356), while prices change by +7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,345 in Port St. Lucie | $93,158 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,467/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 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
47 Fair offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Akron → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $65,735 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $79,533 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $95,326 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $113,356 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $133,953 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $53,610 | $49,942 (−36.4%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $128,510 | $119,717 (+13.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $79,430 | $73,995 (−5.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $82,090 | $76,473 (−5.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.