City comparison
Fort Wayne, IN 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 8.0% higher than in Fort Wayne, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Wayne, IN would need about $108,000 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 $916 in Fort Wayne, IN. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 14% in Fort Wayne, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,921 a year higher in Fort Wayne, IN than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Fort Wayne, IN to Palm Bay, FL ($106,437 → $107,228), while prices change by +8.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.7% in real buying power.
- Fort Wayne, IN: price level 92.6 (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
| Fort Wayne, IN | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,029 in Palm Bay | $92,567 in Fort Wayne |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $916/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,260 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,921 (IN) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,700 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Fort Wayne, IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Fort Wayne, IN and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Wayne | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.3 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 94.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 86.2 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 99.1 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Wayne, IN → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$2,921/yr.
46 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Fort Wayne, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,921/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fort Wayne, IN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Wayne, IN to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Wayne, IN | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Fort Wayne → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,181 | −6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,233 | −6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,173 | −6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,228 | −6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,711 | −6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Wayne, IN | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Fort Wayne dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,800 | $62,510 | $57,864 (−3.2%) |
| Software Developers | $101,560 | $131,760 | $121,967 (+20.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $75,860 | $70,222 (−6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,630 | $80,900 | $74,887 (−6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.