City comparison
Omaha, NE 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 8.8% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $108,800 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 $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,670 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.3% moving from Omaha, NE to Palm Bay, FL ($107,501 → $107,228), while prices change by +8.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much 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
| Omaha, NE | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,806 in Palm Bay | $91,906 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,670/yr.
43 Weak offer
Palm Bay, FL → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,670/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Omaha → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $62,181 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $75,233 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $90,173 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $107,228 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $126,711 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,670 | $62,510 | $57,451 (−8.3%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $131,760 | $121,096 (−3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $75,860 | $69,720 (−9.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $80,900 | $74,352 (−12.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.