City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 13.6% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $113,600 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 22% in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.6% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Palm Bay, FL ($124,085 → $107,228), while prices change by −11.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- 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
| Los Angeles, CA | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,059 in Palm Bay | $113,560 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Palm Bay, FL → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.9%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
24 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Los Angeles → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,181 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,233 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,173 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $107,228 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $126,711 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $129,630 | $122,120 | $138,680 (+7.0%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $131,760 | $149,627 (−7.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $75,860 | $86,147 (−8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $80,900 | $91,870 (−32.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.