City comparison
Lafayette, LA 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 14.7% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $114,700 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 $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Lafayette, LA than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Lafayette, LA to Palm Bay, FL ($106,437 → $107,228), while prices change by +14.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.1% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much 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
| Lafayette, LA | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,673 in Palm Bay | $87,205 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
38 Weak offer
Palm Bay, FL → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lafayette, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Lafayette → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,181 | −12.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,233 | −12.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,173 | −12.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,228 | −12.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,711 | −12.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $62,510 | $54,512 (+14.1%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $131,760 | $114,901 (+5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $75,860 | $66,153 (−2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $80,900 | $70,549 (−13.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.