City comparison
Oxnard, CA vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 10.5% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $110,500 in Oxnard, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,250 a month in Oxnard, CA versus $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 22% in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.6% moving from Oxnard, CA to Palm Bay, FL ($124,085 → $107,228), while prices change by −9.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.5% in real buying power.
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (much 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
| Oxnard, CA | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 110.5 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,474 in Palm Bay | $110,528 in Oxnard |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,250/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 36% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,510 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Oxnard | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 171.1 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 152.9 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 110.5 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Oxnard, CA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Palm Bay, FL → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.5%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
22 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Oxnard, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Oxnard, CA to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Oxnard, CA | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Oxnard → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,181 | −4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,233 | −4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,173 | −4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $107,228 | −4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $126,711 | −4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Oxnard, CA | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Oxnard dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $99,420 | $62,510 | $69,091 (−30.5%) |
| Software Developers | $159,430 | $131,760 | $145,632 (−8.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $90,340 | $75,860 | $83,847 (−7.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,160 | $80,900 | $89,418 (−31.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.