City comparison
Madison, WI 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 2.8% higher than in Madison, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Madison, WI would need about $102,800 in Palm Bay, FL to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,482 a month in Madison, WI and $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,919 a year higher in Madison, WI than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Madison, WI to Palm Bay, FL ($106,437 → $107,228), while prices change by +2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (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
| Madison, WI | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,794 in Palm Bay | $97,282 in Madison |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,482/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,080 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Madison, WI and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Madison | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.7 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.8 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Madison, WI → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,919/yr.
60 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Madison, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,919/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Madison, WI 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 Madison, WI to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Madison, WI | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Madison → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,181 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,233 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,173 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,228 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,711 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Madison, WI | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Madison dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,690 | $62,510 | $60,811 (−4.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,630 | $131,760 | $128,179 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,130 | $75,860 | $73,798 (−9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,190 | $80,900 | $78,701 (−22.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.