City comparison
Boston, MA vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 8.3% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $108,300 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 22% in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.0% moving from Boston, MA to Palm Bay, FL ($120,548 → $107,228), while prices change by −7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- 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
| Boston, MA | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,370 in Palm Bay | $108,261 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
95 Strong offer
Palm Bay, FL → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
23 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Boston → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $62,181 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $75,233 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $90,173 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $107,228 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $126,711 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $62,510 | $67,674 (−31.0%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $131,760 | $142,644 (−14.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $75,860 | $82,126 (−18.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $80,900 | $87,583 (−17.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.