City comparison
Albany, NY vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Albany, NY (99.6) and Port St. Lucie, FL (100.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Albany, NY goes as far as $100,700 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,417 a month in Albany, NY and $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Albany, NY than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.2% moving from Albany, NY to Port St. Lucie, FL ($109,810 → $113,356), while prices change by +0.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,665 in Port St. Lucie | $99,340 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Port St. Lucie, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
67 Fair offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Albany, NY
Roughly even
Buying power +0.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Albany → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $65,735 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $79,533 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $95,326 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $113,356 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $133,953 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $53,610 | $53,256 (−32.8%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $128,510 | $127,661 (−0.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $79,430 | $78,905 (−6.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $82,090 | $81,548 (−18.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.