City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 2.1% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $102,100 in Palm Bay, FL to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL and $1,512 in Virginia Beach, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Virginia Beach, VA ($107,228 → $108,019), while prices change by −2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.9% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,936 in Virginia Beach | $102,107 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
75 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Palm Bay → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $62,640 | +2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $75,788 | +2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $90,838 | +2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $108,019 | +2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $127,646 | +2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $63,380 | $64,716 (+3.5%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $129,090 | $131,810 (+0.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $79,450 | $81,124 (+6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $89,450 | $91,335 (+12.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.