City comparison
Asheville, NC 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 3.9% higher than in Asheville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Asheville, NC would need about $103,900 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,429 a month in Asheville, NC and $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Asheville, NC than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.5% moving from Asheville, NC to Port St. Lucie, FL ($106,437 → $113,356), while prices change by +3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (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
| Asheville, NC | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,857 in Port St. Lucie | $96,286 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $1,467/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 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
57 Fair offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Asheville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Asheville, NC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Asheville, NC to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Asheville → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $65,735 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $79,533 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $95,326 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $113,356 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $133,953 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $53,610 | $51,619 (+3.1%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $128,510 | $123,738 (−7.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $79,430 | $76,480 (−4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $82,090 | $79,042 (−3.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.