City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 14.0% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $114,000 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.3% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Tuscaloosa, AL ($107,228 → $107,510), while prices change by −12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.3% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,718 in Tuscaloosa | $114,002 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Palm Bay → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $62,344 | +14.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $75,431 | +14.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $90,410 | +14.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $107,510 | +14.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $127,044 | +14.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $60,220 | $68,652 (+9.8%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $104,870 | $119,554 (−9.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $71,690 | $81,728 (+7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $75,250 | $85,787 (+6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.