City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Toledo, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 9.3% higher than in Toledo, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Toledo, OH would need about $109,300 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 $820 in Toledo, OH. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 13% in Toledo, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Toledo, OH 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 Toledo, OH ($107,228 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.5% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Toledo, OH: price level 91.5 (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 | Toledo, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 91.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,450 in Toledo | $109,349 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $820/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $48,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Toledo, OH MSA. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Toledo, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Toledo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 67.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 91.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Toledo, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.3%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
98 Strong offer
Toledo, OH → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Toledo, OH is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Toledo, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Toledo, OH | Real change, Palm Bay → Toledo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $61,722 | +8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $74,678 | +8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $89,508 | +8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $106,437 | +8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $125,776 | +8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Toledo, OH | Toledo pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $63,250 | $69,163 (+10.6%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $104,360 | $114,116 (−13.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $77,400 | $84,636 (+11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $81,050 | $88,627 (+9.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.