City comparison
Durham, NC vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Durham, NC (97.6) and Virginia Beach, VA (97.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Durham, NC goes as far as $100,400 in Virginia Beach, VA.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,507 a month in Durham, NC and $1,512 in Virginia Beach, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,455 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.8% moving from Durham, NC to Virginia Beach, VA ($111,147 → $108,019), while prices change by +0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.2% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (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
| Durham, NC | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,378 in Virginia Beach | $99,623 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Virginia Beach, VA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,455/yr.
68 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Durham, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,455/yr.
70 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Durham → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $62,640 | −3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $75,788 | −3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $90,838 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $108,019 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $127,646 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $51,400 | $63,380 | $63,141 (+22.8%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $129,090 | $128,604 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $79,450 | $79,151 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $89,450 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.