City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Pensacola, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 8.1% higher than in Pensacola, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Pensacola, FL would need about $108,100 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $1,257 in Pensacola, FL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 19% in Pensacola, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.0% moving from Bremerton, WA to Pensacola, FL ($119,630 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.8% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
- Pensacola, FL: price level 97.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bremerton, WA | Pensacola, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 97.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,529 in Pensacola | $108,074 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,257/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $46,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL MSA. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Pensacola |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 98.8 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 97.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Pensacola, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
94 Strong offer
Pensacola, FL → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
45 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Pensacola, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Pensacola, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Pensacola, FL | Real change, Bremerton → Pensacola |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $61,722 | −3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $74,678 | −3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,508 | −3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,437 | −3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $125,776 | −3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Pensacola, FL | Pensacola pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $50,360 | $54,426 (−47.0%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $108,430 | $117,185 (−19.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $76,410 | $82,580 (−6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $77,890 | $84,179 (−21.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.