City comparison
Jacksonville, FL vs Tampa, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tampa, FL are 1.4% higher than in Jacksonville, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Jacksonville, FL would need about $101,400 in Tampa, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $1,382 in Jacksonville, FL. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, FL and 21% in Jacksonville, FL.
- Both are in FL, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Jacksonville, FL to Tampa, FL changes real buying power by −1.4%, purely from prices.
- Jacksonville, FL: price level 99.5 (about average)
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Jacksonville, FL | Tampa, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.5 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,413 in Tampa | $98,606 in Jacksonville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,382/mo | $1,696/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,830 | $48,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Jacksonville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. Metro areas: Jacksonville, FL and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jacksonville | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.8 | 125.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 87.5 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.6 |
| Overall | 99.5 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jacksonville, FL → Tampa, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
63 Fair offer
Tampa, FL → Jacksonville, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Jacksonville, FL to Tampa, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jacksonville, FL | Tampa, FL | Real change, Jacksonville → Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jacksonville, FL | Tampa, FL | Tampa pay in Jacksonville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,080 | $60,120 | $59,282 (−2.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $130,450 | $128,632 (−1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,960 | $78,990 | $77,889 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,520 | $85,470 | $84,279 (+0.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.