City comparison
Lubbock, TX 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 9.8% higher than in Lubbock, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Lubbock, TX would need about $109,800 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 $990 in Lubbock, TX. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 15% in Lubbock, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.5% moving from Lubbock, TX to Port St. Lucie, FL ($106,437 → $113,356), while prices change by +9.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.0% in real buying power.
- Lubbock, TX: price level 91.3 (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
| Lubbock, TX | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.3 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,758 in Port St. Lucie | $91,109 in Lubbock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $990/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,130 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Lubbock, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Lubbock, TX and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lubbock | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.4 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 82.8 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 91.3 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lubbock, TX → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
41 Weak offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Lubbock, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lubbock, TX 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 Lubbock, TX to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lubbock, TX | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Lubbock → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $65,735 | −3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $79,533 | −3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $95,326 | −3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $113,356 | −3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $133,953 | −3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lubbock, TX | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Lubbock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,220 | $53,610 | $48,844 (−17.5%) |
| Software Developers | $115,190 | $128,510 | $117,085 (+1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,390 | $79,430 | $72,368 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,480 | $82,090 | $74,792 (−8.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.