City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 2.4% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $102,400 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $937 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.0% moving from Detroit, MI to Virginia Beach, VA ($117,402 → $108,019), while prices change by −2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.8% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- 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
| Detroit, MI | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,650 in Virginia Beach | $102,407 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$937/yr.
76 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$937/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Detroit → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,640 | −5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,788 | −5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $90,838 | −5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $108,019 | −5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $127,646 | −5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $63,380 | $64,905 (−0.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $129,090 | $132,197 (+1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $79,450 | $81,362 (+0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $89,450 | $91,603 (−5.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.