City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 11.1% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $111,100 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 22% in Palm Bay, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.6% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Seattle, WA ($107,228 → $119,630), while prices change by +11.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,127 in Seattle | $89,987 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Seattle, WA | Real change, Palm Bay → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $69,373 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $83,935 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $100,602 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $119,630 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $141,367 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $102,920 | $92,614 (+48.2%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $167,280 | $150,530 (+14.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $99,370 | $89,420 (+17.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $128,260 | $115,417 (+42.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.