City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Wichita, KS
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 12.4% higher than in Wichita, KS. Someone earning $100,000 in Wichita, KS would need about $112,400 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 $849 in Wichita, KS. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 14% in Wichita, KS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Wichita, KS 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 Wichita, KS ($107,228 → $106,437), while prices change by −11.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.6% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Wichita, KS: price level 88.9 (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 | Wichita, KS | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 88.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,942 in Wichita | $112,433 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $849/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,780 (KS) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $47,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Wichita, KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Wichita, KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Wichita |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 66.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 94.0 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 93.8 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 88.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Wichita, KS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
100 Strong offer
Wichita, KS → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Wichita, KS is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Wichita, KS at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Wichita, KS | Real change, Palm Bay → Wichita |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $61,722 | +11.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $74,678 | +11.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $89,508 | +11.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $106,437 | +11.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $125,776 | +11.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Wichita, KS | Wichita pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $58,640 | $65,931 (+5.5%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $105,980 | $119,157 (−9.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $79,270 | $89,126 (+17.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $76,540 | $86,057 (+6.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.