City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 6.7% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $106,700 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD and $1,512 in Virginia Beach, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $550 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Baltimore, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.3% moving from Baltimore, MD to Virginia Beach, VA ($121,785 → $108,019), while prices change by −6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.4% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (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
| Baltimore, MD | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,735 in Virginia Beach | $106,684 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$550/yr.
90 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$550/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Baltimore → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $62,640 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $75,788 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $90,838 | −5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $108,019 | −5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $127,646 | −5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $63,380 | $67,616 (−11.5%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $129,090 | $137,718 (−0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $79,450 | $84,760 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $89,450 | $95,428 (−4.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.