City comparison
Lakeland, FL 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 3.2% higher than in Lakeland, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Lakeland, FL would need about $103,200 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 $1,230 in Lakeland, FL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 19% in Lakeland, FL.
- Both are in FL, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.5% moving from Lakeland, FL to Port St. Lucie, FL ($106,437 → $113,356), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.2% in real buying power.
- Lakeland, FL: price level 97.1 (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
| Lakeland, FL | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,178 in Port St. Lucie | $96,920 in Lakeland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,230/mo | $1,467/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 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,140 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lakeland | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 95.9 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 86.9 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lakeland, FL → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
59 Fair offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Lakeland, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lakeland, FL 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 Lakeland, FL to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lakeland, FL | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Lakeland → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $65,735 | +3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $79,533 | +3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $95,326 | +3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $113,356 | +3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $133,953 | +3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lakeland, FL | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Lakeland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,420 | $53,610 | $51,959 (+3.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,200 | $128,510 | $124,552 (+1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,820 | $79,430 | $76,984 (+0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,030 | $82,090 | $79,562 (−5.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.