City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Spartanburg, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 9.8% higher than in Spartanburg, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Spartanburg, SC would need about $109,800 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 $1,083 in Spartanburg, SC. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 17% in Spartanburg, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Spartanburg, SC 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 Spartanburg, SC ($107,228 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.0% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Spartanburg, SC: price level 91.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | Spartanburg, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,046 in Spartanburg | $109,834 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,083/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $47,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Spartanburg, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 68.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Spartanburg, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
99 Strong offer
Spartanburg, SC → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Spartanburg, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Spartanburg, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Spartanburg, SC | Real change, Palm Bay → Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $61,722 | +9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $74,678 | +9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $89,508 | +9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $106,437 | +9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $125,776 | +9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $60,990 | $66,988 (+7.2%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $114,460 | $125,716 (−4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $77,080 | $84,660 (+11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $82,360 | $90,459 (+11.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.