City comparison
Durham, NC vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 2.7% higher than in Durham, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Durham, NC would need about $102,700 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,507 a month in Durham, NC and $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Durham, NC than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Durham, NC to Port St. Lucie, FL ($111,147 → $113,356), while prices change by +2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Durham, NC | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,722 in Port St. Lucie | $97,350 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $1,467/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 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
60 Fair offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Durham, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; 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; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Durham → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $65,735 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $79,533 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $95,326 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $113,356 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $133,953 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $51,400 | $53,610 | $52,189 (+1.5%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $128,510 | $125,105 (−7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $79,430 | $77,325 (−9.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $82,090 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.