City comparison
Jacksonville, FL vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Jacksonville, FL are 1.6% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $101,600 in Jacksonville, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,382 in Jacksonville, FL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 21% in Jacksonville, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Jacksonville, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Jacksonville, FL to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by −1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.1% in real buying power.
- Jacksonville, FL: price level 99.5 (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
| Jacksonville, FL | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.5 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,449 in Virginia Beach | $101,575 in Jacksonville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,382/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,830 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Jacksonville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Jacksonville, FL and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jacksonville | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.8 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 87.5 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 99.5 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jacksonville, FL → Virginia Beach, VA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
74 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Jacksonville, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Jacksonville, FL 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 Jacksonville, FL to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jacksonville, FL | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Jacksonville → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | +3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | +3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | +3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | +3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | +3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jacksonville, FL | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Jacksonville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,080 | $63,380 | $64,379 (+5.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $129,090 | $131,124 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,960 | $79,450 | $80,702 (+0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,520 | $89,450 | $90,859 (+8.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.