City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 5.6% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $105,600 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA and $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.4% moving from Bremerton, WA to Palm Bay, FL ($119,630 → $107,228), while prices change by −5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.3% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (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
| Bremerton, WA | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,695 in Palm Bay | $105,602 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
86 Strong offer
Palm Bay, FL → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Bremerton → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $62,181 | −5.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $75,233 | −5.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $90,173 | −5.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $107,228 | −5.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $126,711 | −5.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $62,510 | $66,012 (−35.7%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $131,760 | $139,141 (−4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $75,860 | $80,109 (−9.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $80,900 | $85,432 (−20.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.