City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Palm Bay, FL (100.0) and Visalia, CA (99.8, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL goes as far as $99,800 in Visalia, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.2% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Visalia, CA ($107,228 → $106,973), while prices change by −0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.1% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,820 in Visalia | $100,180 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,123/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Visalia, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
69 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Palm Bay, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Visalia, CA | Real change, Palm Bay → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $62,033 | −0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $75,055 | −0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $89,959 | −0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $106,973 | −0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $126,410 | −0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $98,430 | $98,607 (+57.7%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $126,170 | $126,398 (−4.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $79,400 | $79,543 (+4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $125,180 | $125,406 (+55.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.