City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 8.5% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $108,500 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 22% in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Vallejo, 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 Vallejo, CA ($107,228 → $133,060), while prices change by +8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.4% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (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 | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,474 in Vallejo | $92,188 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,705/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% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
40 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
95 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Palm Bay → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $77,161 | +14.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $93,358 | +14.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $111,896 | +14.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $133,060 | +14.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $157,236 | +14.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $122,120 | $137,160 | $126,446 (+3.5%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $136,930 | $126,234 (−4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $95,800 | $88,316 (+16.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $203,290 | $187,410 (+131.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.