City comparison
Jacksonville, FL vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 1.9% higher than in Jacksonville, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Jacksonville, FL would need about $101,900 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,382 in Jacksonville, FL. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 21% in Jacksonville, FL.
- Both are in FL, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Jacksonville, FL to Orlando, FL changes real buying power by −1.9%, purely from prices.
- Jacksonville, FL: price level 99.5 (about average)
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Jacksonville, FL | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.5 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,944 in Orlando | $98,093 in Jacksonville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,382/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,830 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Jacksonville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Jacksonville, FL and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jacksonville | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.8 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 87.5 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 99.5 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jacksonville, FL → Orlando, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
61 Fair offer
Orlando, FL → Jacksonville, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Jacksonville, FL to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jacksonville, FL | Orlando, FL | Real change, Jacksonville → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jacksonville, FL | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Jacksonville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,080 | $60,190 | $59,042 (−3.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $129,620 | $127,148 (−2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,960 | $78,630 | $77,131 (−3.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,520 | $83,550 | $81,957 (−1.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.