City comparison
Crestview, FL 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 3.1% higher than in Crestview, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Crestview, FL would need about $103,100 in Palm Bay, FL to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Crestview, FL versus $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Crestview, FL and 22% in Palm Bay, FL.
- Both are in FL, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Crestview, FL to Palm Bay, FL ($106,437 → $107,228), while prices change by +3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Crestview, FL: price level 97.0 (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
| Crestview, FL | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,065 in Palm Bay | $97,026 in Crestview |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,510 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Crestview | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.9 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Crestview, FL → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
59 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Crestview, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Crestview, FL 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 Crestview, FL to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Crestview, FL | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Crestview → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,181 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,233 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,173 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,228 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,711 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Crestview, FL | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Crestview dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,330 | $62,510 | $60,651 (+0.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,640 | $131,760 | $127,842 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,510 | $75,860 | $73,604 (−7.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,260 | $80,900 | $78,494 (−3.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.