City comparison
Columbus, GA 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 Palm Bay, FL are 12.0% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $112,000 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.7% moving from Columbus, GA to Palm Bay, FL ($112,556 → $107,228), while prices change by +12.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.9% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much 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
| Columbus, GA | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,993 in Palm Bay | $89,292 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
38 Weak offer
Palm Bay, FL → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Columbus → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,181 | −14.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $75,233 | −14.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $90,173 | −14.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $107,228 | −14.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $126,711 | −14.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $102,240 | $122,120 | $109,043 (+6.7%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $131,760 | $117,651 (+1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $75,860 | $67,737 (−8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $80,900 | $72,237 (−12.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.