City comparison
Nashville, TN 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 3.8% higher than in Nashville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Nashville, TN would need about $103,800 in Palm Bay, FL to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 22% in Palm Bay, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TN and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Nashville, TN to Palm Bay, FL ($106,437 → $107,228), while prices change by +3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.0% in real buying power.
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (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
| Nashville, TN | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.3 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,806 in Palm Bay | $96,333 in Nashville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,578/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,390 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Nashville | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.6 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 72.0 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 96.3 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Nashville, TN → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
57 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Nashville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Nashville, TN 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 Nashville, TN to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Nashville, TN | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Nashville → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,181 | −3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,233 | −3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,173 | −3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,228 | −3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,711 | −3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Nashville, TN | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Nashville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,460 | $62,510 | $60,218 (−2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,610 | $131,760 | $126,929 (+0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,080 | $75,860 | $73,078 (−6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,040 | $80,900 | $77,934 (−7.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.