City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 6.8% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $106,800 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT and $1,512 in Virginia Beach, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,011 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.9% moving from New Haven, CT to Virginia Beach, VA ($125,431 → $108,019), while prices change by −6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.1% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- 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
| New Haven, CT | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,671 in Virginia Beach | $106,757 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,011/yr.
90 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,011/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, New Haven → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,640 | −8.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,788 | −8.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,838 | −8.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $108,019 | −8.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $127,646 | −8.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $63,380 | $67,663 (−15.2%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $129,090 | $137,813 (+3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $79,450 | $84,819 (−10.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $89,450 | $95,494 (−8.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.