City comparison
Little Rock, AR 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 11.9% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $111,900 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 $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,687 a year higher in Little Rock, AR than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Little Rock, AR to Palm Bay, FL ($106,437 → $107,228), while prices change by +11.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.0% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (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
| Little Rock, AR | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,907 in Palm Bay | $89,360 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,687/yr.
38 Weak offer
Palm Bay, FL → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,687/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Little Rock, AR 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 Little Rock, AR to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Little Rock → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,181 | −10.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,233 | −10.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,173 | −10.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,228 | −10.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,711 | −10.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $62,510 | $55,859 (−4.6%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $131,760 | $117,740 (+13.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $75,860 | $67,788 (+3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $80,900 | $72,292 (−10.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.