City comparison
Kingsport, TN 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 15.9% higher than in Kingsport, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Kingsport, TN would need about $115,900 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $818 in Kingsport, TN. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 12% in Kingsport, TN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TN and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.5% moving from Kingsport, TN to Port St. Lucie, FL ($106,437 → $113,356), while prices change by +15.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.1% in real buying power.
- Kingsport, TN: price level 86.4 (much 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
| Kingsport, TN | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.4 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,942 in Port St. Lucie | $86,250 in Kingsport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $818/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 12% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,240 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kingsport | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 56.5 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 75.9 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 95.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 86.4 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kingsport, TN → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Kingsport, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.9%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kingsport, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Kingsport, TN to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kingsport, TN | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Kingsport → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $65,735 | −8.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $79,533 | −8.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $95,326 | −8.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $113,356 | −8.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $133,953 | −8.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kingsport, TN | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Kingsport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,130 | $53,610 | $46,239 (−20.5%) |
| Software Developers | $115,310 | $128,510 | $110,840 (−3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,940 | $79,430 | $68,509 (−9.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $76,730 | $82,090 | $70,803 (−7.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.