City comparison
Lakeland, FL vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 4.4% higher than in Lakeland, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Lakeland, FL would need about $104,400 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,230 in Lakeland, FL. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 19% in Lakeland, 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 Lakeland, FL to Orlando, FL changes real buying power by −4.2%, purely from prices.
- Lakeland, FL: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lakeland, FL | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,403 in Orlando | $95,783 in Lakeland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,230/mo | $1,731/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 | 19% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,140 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lakeland | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 95.9 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 86.9 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lakeland, FL → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
54 Fair offer
Orlando, FL → Lakeland, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
83 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 Lakeland, FL to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lakeland, FL | Orlando, FL | Real change, Lakeland → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lakeland, FL | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Lakeland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,420 | $60,190 | $57,652 (+14.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,200 | $129,620 | $124,154 (+1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,820 | $78,630 | $75,314 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,030 | $83,550 | $80,027 (−4.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.