City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, ME are 1.9% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $101,900 in Portland, ME to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 22% in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,654 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Portland, ME ($107,228 → $120,548), while prices change by +1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.4% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (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 | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,853 in Portland | $98,181 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $56,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Portland, ME
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$5,654/yr.
60 Fair offer
Portland, ME → Palm Bay, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,654/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Portland, ME | Real change, Palm Bay → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $69,905 | +10.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $84,579 | +10.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $101,375 | +10.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $120,548 | +10.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $142,452 | +10.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $76,770 | $75,373 (+20.6%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $128,710 | $126,369 (−4.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $79,790 | $78,338 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $88,470 | $86,861 (+7.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.