City comparison
Memphis, TN 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 6.3% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $106,300 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 $1,154 in Memphis, TN. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 17% in Memphis, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Memphis, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Memphis, TN to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by +6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.5% in real buying power.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (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
| Memphis, TN | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,251 in Virginia Beach | $94,117 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
50 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Memphis, TN 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 Memphis, TN to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Memphis → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | −4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | −4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | −4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | −4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | −4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,510 | $63,380 | $59,651 (−3.0%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $129,090 | $121,495 (−3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $79,450 | $74,776 (−2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $89,450 | $84,188 (+3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.