City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 1.0% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $101,000 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL and $1,489 in Reno, NV.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.3% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Reno, NV ($107,228 → $106,855), while prices change by +1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.3% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (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 | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,009 in Reno | $99,001 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Reno, NV
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
66 Fair offer
Reno, NV → Palm Bay, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Reno, NV | Real change, Palm Bay → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $61,965 | −1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $74,972 | −1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $89,859 | −1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $106,855 | −1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $126,271 | −1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $62,430 | $61,806 (−1.1%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $125,710 | $124,454 (−5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $82,370 | $81,547 (+7.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $107,520 | $106,446 (+31.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.