City comparison
Fayetteville, NC 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 8.7% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $108,700 in Palm Bay, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.5% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Palm Bay, FL ($111,147 → $107,228), while prices change by +8.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.3% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much 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
| Fayetteville, NC | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,727 in Palm Bay | $91,973 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,478/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 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
44 Weak offer
Palm Bay, FL → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Fayetteville → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $62,181 | −11.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $75,233 | −11.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $90,173 | −11.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $107,228 | −11.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $126,711 | −11.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $62,510 | $57,493 (+5.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $131,760 | $121,184 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $75,860 | $69,771 (−11.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $80,900 | $74,406 (−10.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.