City comparison
Fayetteville, AR 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 7.2% higher than in Fayetteville, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, AR would need about $107,200 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 $1,115 in Fayetteville, AR. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 18% in Fayetteville, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,249 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Fayetteville, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Fayetteville, AR to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by +7.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.3% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, AR: price level 91.4 (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
| Fayetteville, AR | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.4 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,212 in Virginia Beach | $93,274 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,115/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,610 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.9 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 75.1 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 91.4 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, AR → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,249/yr.
48 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Fayetteville, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,249/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, AR 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 Fayetteville, AR to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, AR | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Fayetteville → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | −5.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | −5.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | −5.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | −5.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | −5.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, AR | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,010 | $63,380 | $59,117 (−3.1%) |
| Software Developers | $105,130 | $129,090 | $120,407 (+14.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,190 | $79,450 | $74,106 (−4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,910 | $89,450 | $83,433 (+7.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.