City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Tampa, FL
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 Tampa, FL (100.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL goes as far as $100,900 in Tampa, FL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, FL and 22% in Palm Bay, FL.
- Both are in FL, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.7% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Tampa, FL ($107,228 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.6% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (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 | Tampa, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,885 in Tampa | $99,123 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,696/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $48,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 125.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.6 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Tampa, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
65 Fair offer
Tampa, FL → Palm Bay, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; 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; Tampa, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Tampa, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Tampa, FL | Real change, Palm Bay → Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $61,722 | −1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $74,678 | −1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $89,508 | −1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $106,437 | −1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $125,776 | −1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Tampa, FL | Tampa pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $60,120 | $59,593 (−4.7%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $130,450 | $129,306 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $78,990 | $78,297 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $85,470 | $84,720 (+4.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.