City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Waterbury, CT
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 Waterbury, CT (99.8, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL goes as far as $99,800 in Waterbury, CT.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL and $1,445 in Waterbury, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.0% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Waterbury, CT ($107,228 → $125,431), while prices change by −0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +17.2% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (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 | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,773 in Waterbury | $100,228 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Waterbury, CT
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
69 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Palm Bay, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Palm Bay → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $72,737 | +17.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $88,005 | +17.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $105,481 | +17.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $125,431 | +17.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $148,222 | +17.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $79,640 | $79,821 (+27.7%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $131,290 | $131,589 (−0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $93,010 | $93,222 (+22.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $101,690 | $101,921 (+26.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.