City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 3.6% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $103,600 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 22% in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.9% moving from Chicago, IL to Palm Bay, FL ($118,984 → $107,228), while prices change by −3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Chicago, IL | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,535 in Palm Bay | $103,590 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
80 Strong offer
Palm Bay, FL → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
57 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Chicago → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $62,181 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $75,233 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $90,173 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $107,228 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $126,711 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $125,310 | $122,120 | $126,504 (+1.0%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $131,760 | $136,490 (+1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $75,860 | $78,583 (−4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $80,900 | $83,804 (−16.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.