City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 1.9% higher than in Raleigh, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Raleigh, NC would need about $101,900 in Palm Bay, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 22% in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Raleigh, NC than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.7% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Raleigh, NC ($107,228 → $111,147), while prices change by −1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.6% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,152 in Raleigh | $101,883 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Raleigh, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
74 Strong offer
Raleigh, NC → Palm Bay, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Raleigh, NC | Real change, Palm Bay → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $64,453 | +5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $77,983 | +5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $93,468 | +5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $111,147 | +5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $131,342 | +5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $60,170 | $61,303 (−1.9%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $132,770 | $135,270 (+2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $81,950 | $83,493 (+10.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $84,830 | $86,427 (+6.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.