City comparison
Deltona, FL vs Durham, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Deltona, FL are 1.8% higher than in Durham, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Durham, NC would need about $101,800 in Deltona, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $1,385 in Deltona, FL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 21% in Deltona, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Durham, NC than in Deltona, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Deltona, FL to Durham, NC ($106,437 → $111,147), while prices change by −1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.3% in real buying power.
- Deltona, FL: price level 99.4 (about average)
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Deltona, FL | Durham, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.4 | 97.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,194 in Durham | $101,840 in Deltona |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,385/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,940 | $60,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Deltona | Durham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.4 | 98.9 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 87.6 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 99.4 | 97.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Deltona, FL → Durham, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
74 Strong offer
Durham, NC → Deltona, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Deltona, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Durham, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Deltona, FL to Durham, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Deltona, FL | Durham, NC | Real change, Deltona → Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,453 | +6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,983 | +6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,468 | +6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,147 | +6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,342 | +6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Deltona, FL | Durham, NC | Durham pay in Deltona dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,770 | $51,400 | $52,346 (−9.4%) |
| Software Developers | $122,000 | $135,620 | $138,115 (+13.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,730 | $85,090 | $86,655 (+17.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,180 | not published | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.