City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 8.8% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $108,800 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 $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Augusta, GA to Palm Bay, FL ($106,437 → $107,228), while prices change by +8.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.4% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Augusta, GA | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,816 in Palm Bay | $91,898 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
43 Weak offer
Palm Bay, FL → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Augusta → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,181 | −7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,233 | −7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,173 | −7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,228 | −7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,711 | −7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $62,510 | $57,446 (−8.8%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $131,760 | $121,085 (+1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $75,860 | $69,714 (−9.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $80,900 | $74,346 (−15.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.