City comparison
Greenville, SC 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 7.2% higher than in Greenville, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greenville, SC would need about $107,200 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 $1,221 in Greenville, SC. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 20% in Greenville, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Greenville, SC than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Greenville, SC to Palm Bay, FL ($106,437 → $107,228), while prices change by +7.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.1% in real buying power.
- Greenville, SC: price level 93.3 (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
| Greenville, SC | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.3 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,232 in Palm Bay | $93,255 in Greenville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,221/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,580 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greenville | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 88.8 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.3 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greenville, SC → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
48 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Greenville, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greenville, SC 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 Greenville, SC to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greenville, SC | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Greenville → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,181 | −6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,233 | −6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,173 | −6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,228 | −6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,711 | −6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greenville, SC | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Greenville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,680 | $62,510 | $58,294 (−3.9%) |
| Software Developers | $121,790 | $131,760 | $122,873 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,870 | $75,860 | $70,743 (−8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | $80,900 | $75,444 (−7.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.