City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 5.3% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $105,300 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,512 in Virginia Beach, VA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 24% in Virginia Beach, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.6% moving from Dallas, TX to Virginia Beach, VA ($115,711 → $108,019), while prices change by −5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.7% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Dallas, TX | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,005 in Virginia Beach | $105,257 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
85 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Dallas → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $62,640 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $75,788 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $90,838 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $108,019 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $127,646 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $63,380 | $66,712 (+2.5%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $129,090 | $135,877 (+1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $79,450 | $83,627 (+1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $89,450 | $94,153 (−7.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.