City comparison
Salem, OR vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salem, OR are 5.8% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $105,800 in Salem, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,984 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Virginia Beach, VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.8% moving from Salem, OR to Virginia Beach, VA ($114,684 → $108,019), while prices change by −5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (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
| Salem, OR | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,493 in Virginia Beach | $105,828 in Salem |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,201/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $71,260 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $7,920 (OR) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Salem, OR MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Salem, OR and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salem | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.3 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 105.3 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 104.7 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salem, OR → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$2,984/yr.
87 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Salem, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,984/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salem, OR is in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Salem, OR to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salem, OR | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Salem → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $66,505 | $62,640 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $80,465 | $75,788 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $96,443 | $90,838 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $114,684 | $108,019 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $135,522 | $127,646 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salem, OR | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Salem dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $74,810 | $63,380 | $67,074 (−10.3%) |
| Software Developers | $131,620 | $129,090 | $136,613 (+3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,480 | $79,450 | $84,080 (−3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,750 | $89,450 | $94,663 (−28.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.