City relocation report 2026

Moving from Orlando to Palm Bay

Your paycheck buys about the same in Palm Bay as in Orlando. Compare taxes, rent, home prices and the cost of the move.

About 60 miles by road
Equal salary in Palm Bay
$78,700
matches $80,000 in Orlando
Price level change
-1.4%
BEA metro prices, 2024
Moving cost (2–3 BR)
$310–$4,860
≈ 60 miles, short move
Households made this move
2,482
IRS, 2022–2023

Equal salary in Palm Bay: $78,700

Compare any two of 149 U.S. metro areas. All cities

To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $78,700 in Palm Bay, FL to match $80,000 in Orlando, FL ($1,300 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.

Single filer, W-2 salary. Both are in Florida, which has no state income tax on wages; neither city levies a resident income tax.

Prices and housing cover the metro area; taxes use Florida, its principal state. A metro can span several states; living in its other state can change the tax result.

Take-home in Orlando
$65,110
18.6% total tax
Take-home in Palm Bay
$65,110
18.6% total tax
Prices in Palm Bay
-1.4%
vs Orlando (BEA 2024)
Renting: change after selected costs
+$2,352
per year, after taxes and gross rent including basic utilities; excludes food, transport, healthcare, child care and moving costs

See the full Palm Bay cost of living report

Orlando vs Palm Bay: key facts

Median rent
$1,877 → $1,681/mo
Median home value
$409,400 → $372,900
Median household income
$81,044 → $78,196
Price level (U.S. = 100)
101.4 → 100.0
FEMA county-score mean
Very high county-score mean (95.3 → 98.4 of 100)

Orlando vs Palm Bay cost of living

Price level by category (U.S. = 100)
Orlando Palm Bay
Orlando housing rents123
Palm Bay housing rents112
Orlando goods96
Palm Bay goods96
Orlando utilities87
Palm Bay utilities88

The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100).

Yearly rent at the metro median
Orlando$22,524
Palm Bay$20,172
MeasureOrlando, FLPalm Bay, FL
Overall price level (U.S. = 100)101.4100.0
Median rent$1,877$1,681
Income to rent affordably (30%)$75,080$67,240
Median home value$409,400$372,900
Monthly cost to own (20% down)$2,691$2,457
Income needed to buy$115,316$105,306
Median property tax$3,012$2,597
State income tax on $80,000$0$0
Metro population2,940,513658,447

Metro-area figures (Census ACS 2024, BEA 2024). The fixed tax rows above use an illustrative single-earner salary of $80,000, rounded from Orlando's median household income. Household income can include multiple earners; it is not a typical individual wage. Taxes use each metro's principal state.

Your yearly budget: Orlando vs Palm Bay

This fixed budget example uses $80,000, single filing and residence inside the principal city tax areas. It does not change with the calculator above.

On an $80,000 salary, taxes, gross rent including basic utilities, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $49,377 a year in Orlando and $47,025 in Palm Bay if you rent: $2,352 less after the move. If you buy the median home, those selected costs use mortgage, property tax, homeowners insurance and electricity instead of gross rent; they come to $61,156 and $58,353 ($2,803 less).

Your yearly budget, before vs after
Yearly costs on an $80,000 salary in Orlando, FL and Palm Bay, FL; change is Palm Bay, FL minus Orlando, FL
Yearly costOrlandoBeforePalm BayAfterChange
Income and payroll taxes
on $80,000, single filer
$14,890$14,890$0
Car insurance
one car, state average
$1,865$1,865$0
Gas
12,000 miles at 25 mpg
$1,902$1,902$0
Health insurance
one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies
$8,196$8,196$0
If you rent
Rent and basic utilities
ACS median gross rent, 12 months
$22,524$20,172-$2,352
Total if you rent$49,377$47,025-$2,352
If you buy the median home (20% down)
Mortgage payment
median home, 20% down, 7.24%
$26,785$24,397-$2,388
Property tax
median home
$3,012$2,597-$415
Homeowners insurance
state median, with a mortgage
$2,492$2,492$0
Electricity
state average bill
$2,014$2,014$0
Total if you buy$61,156$58,353-$2,803

Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, plus the principal city's resident income tax where it has one, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 metro-area medians. Gross rent includes tenant-paid electricity, gas, water/sewer and fuels; those basic utilities are not added again. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (7.24%, week of October 29, 2026).

State figures for the principal state: EIA 2025 average residential power bill (buyers only), NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on October 29, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.

Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.

Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $14,230 a year in Orlando and $14,230 in Palm Bay (Child Care Aware of America, 2025 (2024 fallback for Colorado, Washington, DC and South Carolina) state averages).

Who moves from Orlando to Palm Bay

About 2,482 households (4,087 people) moved from the Orlando metro area to the Palm Bay metro area in 2022–2023, making Palm Bay the #5 destination for people leaving Orlando among the 149 metro areas we cover. 1,961 households moved the other way. Their average adjusted gross income was $67,818.

Cost to move from Orlando to Palm Bay

Moving method (2–3 bedrooms)Typical range
Rental truck (DIY)$310–$600
Moving container$1,090–$2,030
Full-service movers$1,830–$4,860

At about 60 miles, this move is shorter than the long-distance routes these ranges are modeled on. A move this short is often priced by the hour, so quotes can come in lower.

Natural hazard risk: Orlando vs Palm Bay

RelocateMath's population-weighted means of FEMA county risk scores are 95.3 for the Orlando area and 98.4 for the Palm Bay area, on the county-score scale of 0–100. These means are not official FEMA metro ratings or national metro percentiles. Modeled expected yearly losses from natural hazards average $287 vs $642 per resident; individual properties can differ.

County hazard-score means, Orlando
County-score mean above 50
Strong wind99
Lightning98
Tornado98

The vertical line marks county-score scale midpoint (50).

County hazard-score means, Palm Bay
County-score mean above 50
Hurricane100
Lightning99
Wildfire97

The vertical line marks county-score scale midpoint (50).

Frequently asked questions

Is Palm Bay cheaper than Orlando?

Overall prices in the Palm Bay area are 1.4% lower than in Orlando (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $1,681 vs $1,877 a month, and the median home is $372,900 vs $409,400.

What salary do I need in Palm Bay to match $100,000 in Orlando?

About $98,400 in a fixed single-filer W-2 example assuming residence inside both principal cities. It accounts for 2026 federal and principal-state taxes, modeled resident local taxes where applicable, and metro prices. Both are in Florida, which has no state income tax on wages. This illustration stays fixed when calculator inputs change.

How much does it cost to move from Orlando to Palm Bay?

For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 60 miles: roughly $310–$600 with a rental truck, $1,090–$2,030 with a container, or $1,830–$4,860 with full-service movers. A move this short is often priced by the hour, so quotes can come in lower.

How many people move from Orlando to Palm Bay?

IRS county migration data for 2022–2023 show about 2,482 households (4,087 people) moved from the Orlando metro area to the Palm Bay metro area, and 1,961 moved the other way.

Related

Where people from Orlando move

More

State-agency links identify the responsible tax office; they do not verify every modeled rule. Use forms and guidance for the year you are filing.