City comparison
Hagerstown, MD 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 6.2% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $106,200 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.0% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Palm Bay, FL ($121,785 → $107,228), while prices change by +6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.1% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,195 in Palm Bay | $94,166 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
51 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Hagerstown → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $62,181 | −17.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $75,233 | −17.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $90,173 | −17.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $107,228 | −17.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $126,711 | −17.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $62,510 | $58,863 (−6.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $131,760 | $124,074 (+1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $75,860 | $71,435 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $80,900 | $76,181 (−17.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.