City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Palm Bay, FL (100.0) and Spokane, WA (100.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL goes as far as $100,300 in Spokane, WA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.2% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Spokane, WA ($107,228 → $106,991), while prices change by +0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.6% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (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 | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,341 in Spokane | $99,660 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
68 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Palm Bay, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
70 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Spokane, WA | Real change, Palm Bay → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $62,044 | −0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $75,068 | −0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $89,974 | −0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $106,991 | −0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $126,432 | −0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $98,800 | $98,464 (+57.5%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $130,690 | $130,246 (−1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $86,350 | $86,057 (+13.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $111,750 | $111,370 (+37.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.