City comparison
Asheville, NC 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 3.6% higher than in Asheville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Asheville, NC would need about $103,600 in Palm Bay, FL to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,429 a month in Asheville, NC and $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Asheville, NC than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Asheville, NC to Palm Bay, FL ($106,437 → $107,228), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (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
| Asheville, NC | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,626 in Palm Bay | $96,501 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,870 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
58 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Asheville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Asheville, NC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Asheville, NC to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Asheville → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,181 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,233 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,173 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,228 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,711 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $62,510 | $60,323 (+20.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $131,760 | $127,150 (−5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $75,860 | $73,206 (−8.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $80,900 | $78,069 (−4.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.