City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 6.7% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $106,700 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 22% in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.0% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Sacramento, CA ($107,228 → $117,984), while prices change by +6.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.2% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,665 in Sacramento | $93,752 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
42 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Palm Bay → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $68,419 | +3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $82,780 | +3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $99,218 | +3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $117,984 | +3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $139,422 | +3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $103,390 | $96,930 (+55.1%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $139,640 | $130,915 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $92,110 | $86,355 (+13.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $171,460 | $160,747 (+98.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.