City comparison
Cincinnati, OH 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 4.9% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $104,900 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 $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Cincinnati, OH than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.3% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Palm Bay, FL ($110,865 → $107,228), while prices change by +4.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.8% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (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
| Cincinnati, OH | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,860 in Palm Bay | $95,365 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
54 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Cincinnati → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $62,181 | −7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $75,233 | −7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $90,173 | −7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $107,228 | −7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $126,711 | −7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $62,510 | $59,613 (−7.9%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $131,760 | $125,653 (+3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $75,860 | $72,344 (−10.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $80,900 | $77,150 (−7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.