City comparison
Durham, NC 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 2.5% higher than in Durham, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Durham, NC would need about $102,500 in Palm Bay, FL to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,507 a month in Durham, NC and $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Durham, NC than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.5% moving from Durham, NC to Palm Bay, FL ($111,147 → $107,228), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.9% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (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
| Durham, NC | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,494 in Palm Bay | $97,567 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
61 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Durham, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Durham → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $62,181 | −5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $75,233 | −5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $90,173 | −5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $107,228 | −5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $126,711 | −5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $51,400 | $62,510 | $60,989 (+18.7%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $131,760 | $128,554 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $75,860 | $74,014 (−13.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $80,900 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.