City comparison
Brownsville, TX 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 16.3% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $116,300 in Palm Bay, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Brownsville, TX to Palm Bay, FL ($106,437 → $107,228), while prices change by +16.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.4% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much 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
| Brownsville, TX | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,319 in Palm Bay | $85,971 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Palm Bay, FL → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.3%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX 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 Brownsville, TX to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Brownsville → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,181 | −13.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,233 | −13.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,173 | −13.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,228 | −13.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,711 | −13.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $62,510 | $53,740 (−15.2%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $131,760 | $113,275 (+5.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $75,860 | $65,217 (−1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $80,900 | $69,550 (−14.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.