City comparison
Buffalo, NY 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 4.3% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $104,300 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 $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.7% moving from Buffalo, NY to Palm Bay, FL ($111,301 → $107,228), while prices change by +4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.7% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (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
| Buffalo, NY | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,341 in Palm Bay | $95,839 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
56 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Buffalo → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $62,181 | −7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $75,233 | −7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $90,173 | −7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $107,228 | −7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $126,711 | −7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $62,510 | $59,909 (−21.7%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $131,760 | $126,278 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $75,860 | $72,704 (−11.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $80,900 | $77,534 (−21.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.