City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Palm Bay, FL (100.0) and Salt Lake City, UT (100.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL goes as far as $100,900 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL and $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.7% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Salt Lake City, UT ($107,228 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.6% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (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 | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,863 in Salt Lake City | $99,144 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Salt Lake City, UT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
66 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Palm Bay, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Palm Bay → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $61,722 | −1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $74,678 | −1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $89,508 | −1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $106,437 | −1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $125,776 | −1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $77,920 | $77,253 (+23.6%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $129,600 | $128,491 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $82,100 | $81,398 (+7.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $85,890 | $85,155 (+5.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.