City comparison
Manchester, NH vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 5.4% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $105,400 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,552 a month in Manchester, NH versus $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Manchester, NH and 22% in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in NH and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.0% moving from Manchester, NH to Port St. Lucie, FL ($120,548 → $113,356), while prices change by −5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.9% in real buying power.
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Manchester, NH | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.7 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,862 in Port St. Lucie | $105,417 in Manchester |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,552/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NH) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,530 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Manchester-Nashua, NH and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Manchester | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 134.2 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 97.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 133.5 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 103.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 105.7 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Manchester, NH → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
86 Strong offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Manchester, NH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Manchester, NH is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Manchester, NH to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Manchester, NH | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Manchester → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $65,735 | −0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $79,533 | −0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $95,326 | −0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $113,356 | −0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $133,953 | −0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Manchester, NH | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Manchester dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $73,380 | $53,610 | $56,514 (−23.0%) |
| Software Developers | $162,090 | $128,510 | $135,471 (−16.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,660 | $79,430 | $83,732 (+0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,600 | $82,090 | $86,537 (−12.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.