City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Ann Arbor, MI (100.9) and Palm Bay, FL (100.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Ann Arbor, MI goes as far as $99,100 in Palm Bay, FL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $1,387 in Ann Arbor, MI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 22% in Ann Arbor, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Ann Arbor, MI than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.7% moving from Ann Arbor, MI to Palm Bay, FL ($117,402 → $107,228), while prices change by −0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Ann Arbor, MI: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Ann Arbor, MI | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,133 in Palm Bay | $100,875 in Ann Arbor |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,387/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,380 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Ann Arbor, MI MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Ann Arbor, MI and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ann Arbor | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.3 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 98.2 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ann Arbor, MI → Palm Bay, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
71 Strong offer
Palm Bay, FL → Ann Arbor, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
66 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ann Arbor, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Ann Arbor, MI to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ann Arbor, MI | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Ann Arbor → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,181 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,233 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $90,173 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $107,228 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $126,711 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ann Arbor, MI | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Ann Arbor dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,060 | $62,510 | $63,057 (−1.6%) |
| Software Developers | $126,830 | $131,760 | $132,913 (+4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $75,860 | $76,524 (−4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,450 | $80,900 | $81,608 (−21.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.