City comparison
Charlotte, NC vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 3.0% higher than in Charlotte, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Charlotte, NC would need about $103,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC and $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Charlotte, NC than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.2% moving from Charlotte, NC to Port St. Lucie, FL ($108,810 → $113,356), while prices change by +3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.2% in real buying power.
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
- 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
| Charlotte, NC | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,958 in Port St. Lucie | $97,127 in Charlotte |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,538/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charlotte | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.6 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charlotte, NC → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
60 Fair offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Charlotte, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Charlotte, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Charlotte, NC to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charlotte, NC | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Charlotte → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $65,735 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $79,533 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $95,326 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $113,356 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $133,953 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charlotte, NC | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Charlotte dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,680 | $53,610 | $52,070 (−11.3%) |
| Software Developers | $135,920 | $128,510 | $124,817 (−8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,910 | $79,430 | $77,148 (−17.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $90,620 | $82,090 | $79,731 (−12.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.