City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Virginia Beach, VA are 6.9% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $106,900 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 $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,936 in VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Birmingham, AL to Virginia Beach, VA ($107,510 → $108,019), while prices change by +6.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much 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
| Birmingham, AL | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,871 in Virginia Beach | $93,571 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$201/yr.
49 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$201/yr.
90 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Birmingham → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $62,640 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $75,788 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $90,838 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $108,019 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $127,646 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $115,520 | $126,030 | $117,927 (+2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $129,090 | $120,790 (−3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $79,450 | $74,342 (−5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $89,450 | $83,699 (+6.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.