City comparison
Hartford, CT vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 2.7% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $102,700 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT and $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Hartford, CT than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.7% moving from Hartford, CT to Palm Bay, FL ($120,094 → $107,228), while prices change by −2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (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
| Hartford, CT | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,332 in Palm Bay | $102,741 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
77 Strong offer
Palm Bay, FL → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Hartford → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $62,181 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $75,233 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $90,173 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $107,228 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $126,711 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $62,510 | $64,223 (−19.5%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $131,760 | $135,371 (+2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $75,860 | $77,939 (−18.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $80,900 | $83,117 (−18.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.