City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Detroit, MI (100.3) and Palm Bay, FL (100.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Detroit, MI goes as far as $99,700 in Palm Bay, FL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.7% moving from Detroit, MI to Palm Bay, FL ($117,402 → $107,228), while prices change by −0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.4% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- 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
| Detroit, MI | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,708 in Palm Bay | $100,293 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Palm Bay, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
70 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Detroit → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,181 | −8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,233 | −8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $90,173 | −8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $107,228 | −8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $126,711 | −8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $62,510 | $62,693 (−3.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $131,760 | $132,146 (+1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $75,860 | $76,082 (−5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $80,900 | $81,137 (−16.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.