City comparison
St. Louis, MO 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 3.0% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $103,000 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 $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,173 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from St. Louis, MO to Virginia Beach, VA ($109,137 → $108,019), while prices change by +3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.9% in real buying power.
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (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
| St. Louis, MO | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.1 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,000 in Virginia Beach | $97,087 in St. Louis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $995/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: St. Louis, MO-IL and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | St. Louis | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.0 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 100.0 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 69.9 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 95.1 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
St. Louis, MO → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,173/yr.
60 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,173/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
St. Louis, MO is in the St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from St. Louis, MO to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | St. Louis, MO | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, St. Louis → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,288 | $62,640 | −3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,573 | $75,788 | −3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,779 | $90,838 | −3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,137 | $108,019 | −3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,967 | $127,646 | −3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | St. Louis, MO | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in St. Louis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,650 | $63,380 | $61,534 (+1.5%) |
| Software Developers | $129,030 | $129,090 | $125,330 (−2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,880 | $79,450 | $77,136 (−2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,180 | $89,450 | $86,844 (+4.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.