City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Stockton, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Stockton, CA are 5.1% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $105,100 in Stockton, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $1,395 in Stockton, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 23% in Stockton, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Stockton, CA than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +24.1% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Stockton, CA ($107,228 → $133,060), while prices change by +5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +18.1% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Stockton, CA: price level 105.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | Stockton, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 105.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,084 in Stockton | $95,162 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,395/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $48,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Stockton-Lodi, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Stockton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 115.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 158.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 105.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Stockton, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
54 Fair offer
Stockton, CA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
85 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Stockton, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Stockton, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Stockton, CA | Real change, Palm Bay → Stockton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $77,161 | +18.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $93,358 | +18.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $111,896 | +18.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $133,060 | +18.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $157,236 | +18.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Stockton, CA | Stockton pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $122,120 | $101,320 | $96,418 (−21.0%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $138,550 | $131,847 (+0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $83,570 | $79,527 (+4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $134,580 | $128,069 (+58.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.