City comparison
Cleveland, OH 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 4.3% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $104,300 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 $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,968 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.8% moving from Cleveland, OH to Virginia Beach, VA ($111,138 → $108,019), while prices change by +4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.8% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (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
| Cleveland, OH | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,278 in Virginia Beach | $95,898 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$2,968/yr.
56 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,968/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Cleveland → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,640 | −6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $75,788 | −6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $90,838 | −6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $108,019 | −6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $127,646 | −6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $63,380 | $60,780 (−20.5%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $129,090 | $123,794 (+11.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $79,450 | $76,191 (−4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $89,450 | $85,780 (+2.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.