City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 4.2% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $104,200 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD and $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.9% moving from Baltimore, MD to Port St. Lucie, FL ($121,785 → $113,356), while prices change by −4.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.0% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,924 in Port St. Lucie | $104,249 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
82 Strong offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Baltimore → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $65,735 | −3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $79,533 | −3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $95,326 | −3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $113,356 | −3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $133,953 | −3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $53,610 | $55,888 (−26.8%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $128,510 | $133,971 (−3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $79,430 | $82,805 (−2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $82,090 | $85,578 (−14.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.