City comparison
Fresno, CA vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fresno, CA are 1.9% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $101,900 in Fresno, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $1,355 in Fresno, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, 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 Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.0% moving from Fresno, CA to Port St. Lucie, FL ($106,973 → $113,356), while prices change by −1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.0% in real buying power.
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (pricier)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fresno, CA | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.2 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,111 in Port St. Lucie | $101,926 in Fresno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,355/mo | $1,467/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 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Fresno, CA and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fresno | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 95.7 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 161.0 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 102.2 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fresno, CA → Port St. Lucie, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
75 Strong offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Fresno, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fresno, CA is in the Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Fresno, CA to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fresno, CA | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Fresno → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,033 | $65,735 | +8.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,055 | $79,533 | +8.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,959 | $95,326 | +8.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,973 | $113,356 | +8.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,410 | $133,953 | +8.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fresno, CA | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Fresno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,800 | $53,610 | $54,642 (−30.7%) |
| Software Developers | $129,060 | $128,510 | $130,985 (+1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,690 | $79,430 | $80,960 (+2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,420 | $82,090 | $83,671 (−33.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.