City comparison
Chattanooga, TN vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Virginia Beach, VA are 7.1% higher than in Chattanooga, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Chattanooga, TN would need about $107,100 in Virginia Beach, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,263 in Chattanooga, TN. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 19% in Chattanooga, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Chattanooga, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Chattanooga, TN to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by +7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.2% in real buying power.
- Chattanooga, TN: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Chattanooga, TN | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.5 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,081 in Virginia Beach | $93,387 in Chattanooga |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,263/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,700 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chattanooga | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.5 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.0 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 74.2 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 91.5 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chattanooga, TN → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
48 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Chattanooga, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chattanooga, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Chattanooga, TN to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chattanooga, TN | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Chattanooga → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | −5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | −5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chattanooga, TN | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Chattanooga dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,830 | $63,380 | $59,189 (−1.1%) |
| Software Developers | $106,750 | $129,090 | $120,553 (+12.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $79,450 | $74,196 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,770 | $89,450 | $83,535 (+4.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.