City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 6.9% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $106,900 in Palm Bay, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Scranton, PA than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.7% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Scranton, PA ($107,228 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.1% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,551 in Scranton | $106,893 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
90 Strong offer
Scranton, PA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Scranton, PA | Real change, Palm Bay → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $61,722 | +6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $74,678 | +6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $89,508 | +6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $106,437 | +6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $125,776 | +6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $76,590 | $81,870 (+31.0%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $119,960 | $128,229 (−2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $70,480 | $75,338 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $82,650 | $88,347 (+9.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.