City comparison
Kansas City, MO 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 8.1% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $108,100 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 $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.9% moving from Kansas City, MO to Palm Bay, FL ($108,173 → $107,228), while prices change by +8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (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
| Kansas City, MO | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,063 in Palm Bay | $92,538 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
45 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Kansas City → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $62,181 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $75,233 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $90,173 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $107,228 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $126,711 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $62,510 | $57,846 (−5.3%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $131,760 | $121,929 (−2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $75,860 | $70,200 (−12.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $80,900 | $74,864 (−9.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.