City comparison
Port St. Lucie, FL vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Port St. Lucie, FL (100.2) and Visalia, CA (99.8, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL goes as far as $99,600 in Visalia, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, 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 Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.6% moving from Port St. Lucie, FL to Visalia, CA ($113,356 → $106,973), while prices change by −0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.2% in real buying power.
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (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
| Port St. Lucie, FL | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,598 in Visalia | $100,404 in Port St. Lucie |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,467/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 | $46,490 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Port St. Lucie, FL MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Port St. Lucie, FL and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Port St. Lucie | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.6 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.0 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Port St. Lucie, FL → Visalia, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
70 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → Port St. Lucie, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Port St. Lucie, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Port St. Lucie, FL to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Visalia, CA | Real change, Port St. Lucie → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $62,033 | −5.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $75,055 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $89,959 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $106,973 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $126,410 | −5.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Port St. Lucie dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $53,610 | $98,430 | $98,827 (+84.3%) |
| Software Developers | $128,510 | $126,170 | $126,679 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,430 | $79,400 | $79,721 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,090 | $125,180 | $125,685 (+53.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.