City comparison
Huntsville, AL 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 7.4% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $107,400 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 $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.3% moving from Huntsville, AL to Palm Bay, FL ($110,847 → $107,228), while prices change by +7.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.0% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (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
| Huntsville, AL | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,449 in Palm Bay | $93,067 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
47 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Huntsville → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $62,181 | −10.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $75,233 | −10.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $90,173 | −10.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $107,228 | −10.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $126,711 | −10.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $62,510 | $58,176 (−6.5%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $131,760 | $122,626 (−4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $75,860 | $70,601 (−10.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $80,900 | $75,291 (−2.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.