City comparison
Boise City, ID 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 1.6% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $101,600 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 $1,381 in Boise City, ID. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 22% in Boise City, ID.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,192 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Boise City, ID to Palm Bay, FL ($106,437 → $107,228), while prices change by +1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.9% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (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
| Boise City, ID | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,640 in Palm Bay | $98,386 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Palm Bay, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,192/yr.
64 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Boise City, ID
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$4,192/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID 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 Boise City, ID to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Boise City → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,181 | −0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,233 | −0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,173 | −0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,228 | −0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,711 | −0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $62,510 | $61,501 (+0.4%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $131,760 | $129,633 (−1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $75,860 | $74,636 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $80,900 | $79,594 (−18.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.