City comparison
Charlotte, NC 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 2.7% higher than in Charlotte, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Charlotte, NC would need about $102,700 in Palm Bay, FL to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC and $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Charlotte, NC than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.5% moving from Charlotte, NC to Palm Bay, FL ($108,810 → $107,228), while prices change by +2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (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
| Charlotte, NC | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,729 in Palm Bay | $97,343 in Charlotte |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,538/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charlotte | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.6 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charlotte, NC → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
60 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Charlotte, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Charlotte, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Charlotte, NC to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charlotte, NC | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Charlotte → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $62,181 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $75,233 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $90,173 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $107,228 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $126,711 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charlotte, NC | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Charlotte dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,680 | $62,510 | $60,849 (+3.7%) |
| Software Developers | $135,920 | $131,760 | $128,259 (−5.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,910 | $75,860 | $73,845 (−20.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $90,620 | $80,900 | $78,751 (−13.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.