City comparison
Columbus, 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 4.8% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $104,800 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 $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Columbus, OH than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.5% moving from Columbus, OH to Palm Bay, FL ($111,065 → $107,228), while prices change by +4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.8% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (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, OH | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,751 in Palm Bay | $95,464 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/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 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
55 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Columbus → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $62,181 | −7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $75,233 | −7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $90,173 | −7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $107,228 | −7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $126,711 | −7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $62,510 | $59,675 (−23.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $131,760 | $125,784 (+2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $75,860 | $72,419 (−11.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $80,900 | $77,231 (−7.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.