City comparison
Little Rock, 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 9.6% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $109,600 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 $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,249 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Little Rock, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Little Rock, AR to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by +9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.4% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (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
| Little Rock, AR | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,598 in Virginia Beach | $91,243 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/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 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,249/yr.
41 Weak offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,249/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Little Rock, 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 Little Rock, AR to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Little Rock → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | −7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | −7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | −7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | −7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | −7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $63,380 | $57,830 (−1.3%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $129,090 | $117,785 (+13.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $79,450 | $72,492 (+10.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $89,450 | $81,617 (+0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.