City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 5.2% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $105,200 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 $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.8% moving from Palm Bay, FL to St. Louis, MO ($107,228 → $109,137), while prices change by −4.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.0% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,083 in St. Louis | $105,171 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
85 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Palm Bay → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $63,288 | +7.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $76,573 | +7.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $91,779 | +7.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $109,137 | +7.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $128,967 | +7.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $60,650 | $63,786 (+2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $129,030 | $135,702 (+3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $78,880 | $82,959 (+9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $83,180 | $87,481 (+8.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.