City comparison
Chattanooga, TN vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 9.6% higher than in Chattanooga, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Chattanooga, TN would need about $109,600 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $1,263 in Chattanooga, TN. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 19% in Chattanooga, TN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TN and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.5% moving from Chattanooga, TN to Port St. Lucie, FL ($106,437 → $113,356), while prices change by +9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Chattanooga, TN: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chattanooga, TN | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.5 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,582 in Port St. Lucie | $91,256 in Chattanooga |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,263/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,700 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chattanooga | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.5 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 96.0 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 74.2 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 91.5 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chattanooga, TN → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
41 Weak offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Chattanooga, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chattanooga, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Chattanooga, TN to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chattanooga, TN | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Chattanooga → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $65,735 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $79,533 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $95,326 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $113,356 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $133,953 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chattanooga, TN | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Chattanooga dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,830 | $53,610 | $48,922 (−18.2%) |
| Software Developers | $106,750 | $128,510 | $117,273 (+9.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $79,430 | $72,485 (−5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,770 | $82,090 | $74,912 (−6.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.