City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 3.1% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $103,100 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 $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.0% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Rochester, NY ($107,228 → $107,182), while prices change by −3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.0% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,030 in Rochester | $103,061 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
78 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Rochester, NY | Real change, Palm Bay → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $62,155 | +3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $75,202 | +3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $90,135 | +3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $107,182 | +3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $126,657 | +3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $62,840 | $64,763 (+3.6%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $122,770 | $126,528 (−4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $80,890 | $83,366 (+9.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $86,570 | $89,220 (+10.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.