City comparison
Manchester, NH vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 5.7% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $105,700 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,552 a month in Manchester, NH and $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in NH and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.0% moving from Manchester, NH to Palm Bay, FL ($120,548 → $107,228), while prices change by −5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Manchester, NH | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.7 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,651 in Palm Bay | $105,652 in Manchester |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,552/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NH) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,530 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Manchester-Nashua, NH and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Manchester | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 134.2 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 97.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 133.5 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 103.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 105.7 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Manchester, NH → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
86 Strong offer
Palm Bay, FL → Manchester, NH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Manchester, NH is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Manchester, NH to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Manchester, NH | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Manchester → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $62,181 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $75,233 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $90,173 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $107,228 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $126,711 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Manchester, NH | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Manchester dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $73,380 | $62,510 | $66,043 (−10.0%) |
| Software Developers | $162,090 | $131,760 | $139,207 (−14.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,660 | $75,860 | $80,147 (−4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,600 | $80,900 | $85,472 (−13.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.