City comparison
Fresno, CA vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fresno, CA are 2.2% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $102,200 in Fresno, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $1,355 in Fresno, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 22% in Fresno, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Fresno, CA than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.2% moving from Fresno, CA to Palm Bay, FL ($106,973 → $107,228), while prices change by −2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.4% in real buying power.
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (pricier)
- 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
| Fresno, CA | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.2 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,892 in Palm Bay | $102,153 in Fresno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,355/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,910 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Fresno, CA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fresno | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 95.7 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 161.0 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 102.2 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fresno, CA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
75 Strong offer
Palm Bay, FL → Fresno, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fresno, CA is in the Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Fresno, CA to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fresno, CA | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Fresno → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,033 | $62,181 | +2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,055 | $75,233 | +2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,959 | $90,173 | +2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,973 | $107,228 | +2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,410 | $126,711 | +2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fresno, CA | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Fresno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,800 | $62,510 | $63,856 (−19.0%) |
| Software Developers | $129,060 | $131,760 | $134,597 (+4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,690 | $75,860 | $77,493 (−1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,420 | $80,900 | $82,642 (−34.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.