City comparison
Greeley, CO vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Greeley, CO are 2.3% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $102,300 in Greeley, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,238 in Greeley, CO. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 20% in Greeley, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,244 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Greeley, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.0% moving from Greeley, CO to Virginia Beach, VA ($118,675 → $108,019), while prices change by −2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.9% in real buying power.
- Greeley, CO: price level 100.2 (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
| Greeley, CO | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,769 in Virginia Beach | $102,282 in Greeley |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,238/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,070 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Greeley, CO MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Greeley, CO and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greeley | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.6 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greeley, CO → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,244/yr.
76 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Greeley, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,244/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greeley, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Greeley, CO to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greeley, CO | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Greeley → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $62,640 | −6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $75,788 | −6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $90,838 | −6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $108,019 | −6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $127,646 | −6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greeley, CO | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Greeley dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,160 | $63,380 | $64,826 (+7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $129,480 | $129,090 | $132,036 (+2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,240 | $79,450 | $81,263 (−6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,300 | $89,450 | $91,491 (−5.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.