City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 11.0% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $111,000 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 22% in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $6,070 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.6% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Urban Honolulu, HI ($107,228 → $111,119), while prices change by +11.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (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 | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,955 in Urban Honolulu | $90,126 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.9%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$6,070/yr.
26 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$6,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Palm Bay → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $64,438 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $77,964 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $93,445 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $111,119 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $131,310 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $73,080 | $65,864 (+5.4%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $120,230 | $108,359 (−17.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $74,990 | $67,586 (−10.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $139,260 | $125,510 (+55.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.