City comparison
Jackson, MS 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 12.3% higher than in Jackson, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Jackson, MS would need about $112,300 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 $1,097 in Jackson, MS. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 17% in Jackson, MS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,268 a year higher in Jackson, MS than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Jackson, MS to Palm Bay, FL ($106,437 → $107,228), while prices change by +12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.3% in real buying power.
- Jackson, MS: price level 89.0 (much 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
| Jackson, MS | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.0 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,305 in Palm Bay | $89,044 in Jackson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,097/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,912 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,268 (MS) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,850 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Jackson, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Jackson, MS and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jackson | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.8 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 78.1 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 89.0 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jackson, MS → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,268/yr.
38 Weak offer
Palm Bay, FL → Jackson, MS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,268/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Jackson, MS 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 Jackson, MS to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jackson, MS | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Jackson → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,181 | −10.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,233 | −10.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,173 | −10.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,228 | −10.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,711 | −10.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jackson, MS | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Jackson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,240 | $62,510 | $55,661 (+10.8%) |
| Software Developers | $96,990 | $131,760 | $117,324 (+21.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,720 | $75,860 | $67,548 (−4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,630 | $80,900 | $72,036 (−12.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.