City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Richmond, VA are 3.4% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $103,400 in Richmond, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,866 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to Richmond, VA ($110,047 → $111,183), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Richmond, 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
| Pittsburgh, PA | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,366 in Richmond | $96,743 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → Richmond, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,866/yr.
59 Fair offer
Richmond, VA → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,866/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | Richmond, VA | Real change, Pittsburgh → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $64,475 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $78,009 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $93,499 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $111,183 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $131,385 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $61,290 | $59,294 (−22.5%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $132,120 | $127,817 (+2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $84,220 | $81,477 (+5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $93,580 | $90,532 (+9.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.