City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs South Bend, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 7.7% higher than in South Bend, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in South Bend, IN would need about $107,700 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 $1,105 in South Bend, IN. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 17% in South Bend, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,921 a year higher in South Bend, IN 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 South Bend, IN ($107,228 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.9% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- South Bend, IN: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,853 in South Bend | $107,697 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → South Bend, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,921/yr.
93 Strong offer
South Bend, IN → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$2,921/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; South Bend, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | South Bend, IN | Real change, Palm Bay → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $61,722 | +6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $74,678 | +6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $89,508 | +6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $106,437 | +6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $125,776 | +6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $58,180 | $62,658 (+0.2%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $95,500 | $102,850 (−21.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $77,940 | $83,939 (+10.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $93,540 | $100,739 (+24.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.