City comparison
Port St. Lucie, FL vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, ME are 1.6% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $101,600 in Portland, ME to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 22% in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,654 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.3% moving from Port St. Lucie, FL to Portland, ME ($113,356 → $120,548), while prices change by +1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.6% in real buying power.
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Port St. Lucie, FL | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,626 in Portland | $98,400 in Port St. Lucie |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,467/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,490 | $56,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Port St. Lucie, FL MSA and Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Port St. Lucie, FL and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Port St. Lucie | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.6 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 87.0 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Port St. Lucie, FL → Portland, ME
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$5,654/yr.
61 Fair offer
Portland, ME → Port St. Lucie, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,654/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Port St. Lucie, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Port St. Lucie, FL to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Portland, ME | Real change, Port St. Lucie → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $69,905 | +4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $84,579 | +4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $101,375 | +4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $120,548 | +4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $142,452 | +4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Port St. Lucie dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $53,610 | $76,770 | $75,541 (+40.9%) |
| Software Developers | $128,510 | $128,710 | $126,650 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,430 | $79,790 | $78,513 (−1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,090 | $88,470 | $87,054 (+6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.