City comparison
Little Rock, AR 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 12.2% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $112,200 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 $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, 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 Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.5% moving from Little Rock, AR to Port St. Lucie, FL ($106,437 → $113,356), while prices change by +12.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (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
| Little Rock, AR | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,157 in Port St. Lucie | $89,161 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $1,467/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 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,687/yr.
38 Weak offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.2%; 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; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Little Rock, AR to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Little Rock → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $65,735 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $79,533 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $95,326 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $113,356 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $133,953 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $53,610 | $47,799 (−18.4%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $128,510 | $114,580 (+10.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $79,430 | $70,820 (+7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $82,090 | $73,192 (−9.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.