City comparison
Olympia, WA vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 3.7% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $103,700 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 22% in Palm Bay, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.4% moving from Olympia, WA to Palm Bay, FL ($119,630 → $107,228), while prices change by −3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.1% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (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
| Olympia, WA | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,465 in Palm Bay | $103,665 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
80 Strong offer
Palm Bay, FL → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Olympia → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $62,181 | −7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $75,233 | −7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $90,173 | −7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $107,228 | −7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $126,711 | −7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $62,510 | $64,801 (−38.1%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $131,760 | $136,589 (+10.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $75,860 | $78,640 (−16.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $80,900 | $83,865 (−32.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.