City comparison
Ocala, FL 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 5.0% higher than in Ocala, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Ocala, FL would need about $105,000 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 $1,172 in Ocala, FL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 18% in Ocala, FL.
- Both are in FL, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Ocala, FL to Palm Bay, FL ($106,437 → $107,228), while prices change by +5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Ocala, FL: price level 95.2 (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
| Ocala, FL | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.2 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,010 in Palm Bay | $95,229 in Ocala |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,172/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,990 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Ocala, FL MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Ocala, FL and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ocala | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.2 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 87.1 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 95.2 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ocala, FL → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
54 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Ocala, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ocala, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Ocala, FL to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ocala, FL | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Ocala → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,181 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,233 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,173 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,228 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,711 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ocala, FL | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Ocala dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,540 | $62,510 | $59,528 (+3.5%) |
| Software Developers | $112,780 | $131,760 | $125,474 (+11.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,370 | $75,860 | $72,241 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,230 | $80,900 | $77,040 (−2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.