City comparison
Orlando, FL vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 5.6% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $105,600 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,382 in Springfield, MA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 22% in Springfield, MA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Orlando, FL to Springfield, MA ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by −5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +19.1% in real buying power.
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Orlando, FL | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.4 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,718 in Springfield | $105,577 in Orlando |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,731/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,630 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Orlando | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.4 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 87.2 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 101.4 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Orlando, FL → Springfield, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
86 Strong offer
Springfield, MA → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Orlando, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Orlando, FL to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Orlando, FL | Springfield, MA | Real change, Orlando → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | +19.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | +19.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | +19.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | +19.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | +19.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Orlando, FL | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Orlando dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,190 | $79,640 | $84,081 (+39.7%) |
| Software Developers | $129,620 | $127,740 | $134,864 (+4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,630 | $92,010 | $97,141 (+23.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,550 | $98,410 | $103,898 (+24.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.