City comparison
Crestview, FL vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Crestview, FL (97.0) and Tucson, AZ (96.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Crestview, FL goes as far as $99,900 in Tucson, AZ.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Crestview, FL versus $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Crestview, FL and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Tucson, AZ than in Crestview, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Crestview, FL to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by −0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.0% in real buying power.
- Crestview, FL: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Crestview, FL | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,861 in Tucson | $100,139 in Crestview |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,510 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Crestview | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.9 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Crestview, FL → Tucson, AZ
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
69 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → Crestview, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Crestview, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Crestview, FL to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Crestview, FL | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Crestview → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | +2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | +2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | +2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | +2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | +2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Crestview, FL | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Crestview dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,330 | $47,220 | $47,286 (−21.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,640 | $123,710 | $123,882 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,510 | $76,320 | $76,426 (−3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,260 | $94,110 | $94,241 (+16.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.