City comparison
Omaha, NE 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 6.6% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $106,600 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 $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,265 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Omaha, NE to Virginia Beach, VA ($107,501 → $108,019), while prices change by +6.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.7% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (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
| Omaha, NE | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,561 in Virginia Beach | $93,843 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,265/yr.
50 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,265/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Omaha → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $62,640 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $75,788 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $90,838 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $108,019 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $127,646 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,670 | $63,380 | $59,478 (−5.1%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $129,090 | $121,142 (−3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $79,450 | $74,558 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $89,450 | $83,943 (−0.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.