City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salem, OR are 3.6% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $103,600 in Salem, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $7,920 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.0% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Salem, OR ($107,228 → $114,684), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.2% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,644 in Salem | $96,484 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Salem, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$7,920/yr.
58 Fair offer
Salem, OR → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$7,920/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Salem, OR | Real change, Palm Bay → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $66,505 | +3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $80,465 | +3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $96,443 | +3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $114,684 | +3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $135,522 | +3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $74,810 | $72,180 (+15.5%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $131,620 | $126,993 (−3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $87,480 | $84,404 (+11.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $131,750 | $127,118 (+57.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.