City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 3.0% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $103,000 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 $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Reading, PA than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.4% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Reading, PA ($107,228 → $117,284), while prices change by −2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.7% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,055 in Reading | $103,034 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
78 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Reading, PA | Real change, Palm Bay → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $68,013 | +12.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $82,289 | +12.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $98,630 | +12.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $117,284 | +12.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $138,595 | +12.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $79,860 | $82,283 (+31.6%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $120,920 | $124,589 (−5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $75,550 | $77,842 (+2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $98,470 | $101,458 (+25.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.