City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Palm Bay, FL (100.0) and Port St. Lucie, FL (100.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL goes as far as $100,200 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL and $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- Both are in FL, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.7% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Port St. Lucie, FL ($107,228 → $113,356), while prices change by +0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.5% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,223 in Port St. Lucie | $99,778 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,467/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 | 22% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Port St. Lucie, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
68 Fair offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Palm Bay, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Palm Bay → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $65,735 | +5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $79,533 | +5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $95,326 | +5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $113,356 | +5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $133,953 | +5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $53,610 | $53,491 (−14.4%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $128,510 | $128,224 (−2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $79,430 | $79,253 (+4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $82,090 | $81,907 (+1.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.