City comparison
Tucson, AZ 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 1.1% higher than in Tucson, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Tucson, AZ would need about $101,100 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 $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,645 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.4% moving from Tucson, AZ to Virginia Beach, VA ($108,455 → $108,019), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (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
| Tucson, AZ | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,078 in Virginia Beach | $98,933 in Tucson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,081/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,760 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Tucson-Nogales, AZ | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Tucson, AZ MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Tucson, AZ and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tucson | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 91.8 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tucson, AZ → Virginia Beach, VA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$2,645/yr.
65 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Tucson, AZ
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,645/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tucson, AZ is in the Tucson-Nogales, AZ pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Tucson, AZ to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tucson, AZ | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Tucson → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,893 | $62,640 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,095 | $75,788 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,205 | $90,838 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,455 | $108,019 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,162 | $127,646 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tucson, AZ | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Tucson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,220 | $63,380 | $62,704 (+32.8%) |
| Software Developers | $123,710 | $129,090 | $127,713 (+3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $79,450 | $78,602 (+3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,110 | $89,450 | $88,496 (−6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.