City comparison
Milwaukee, WI 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 3.2% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $103,200 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 $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,919 a year higher in Milwaukee, WI than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.7% moving from Milwaukee, WI to Palm Bay, FL ($111,310 → $107,228), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (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
| Milwaukee, WI | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,165 in Palm Bay | $96,932 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,919/yr.
59 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,919/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Milwaukee → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $62,181 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $75,233 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $90,173 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $107,228 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $126,711 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,480 | $62,510 | $60,592 (−1.4%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $131,760 | $127,718 (+3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $75,860 | $73,533 (−8.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $80,900 | $78,418 (−19.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.