City comparison
Des Moines, IA 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 6.8% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $106,800 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 $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,788 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Des Moines, IA to Virginia Beach, VA ($107,301 → $108,019), while prices change by +6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.7% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (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
| Des Moines, IA | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,805 in Virginia Beach | $93,629 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,788/yr.
49 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,788/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Des Moines → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $62,640 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $75,788 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $90,838 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $108,019 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $127,646 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $63,380 | $59,342 (−3.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $129,090 | $120,865 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $79,450 | $74,388 (−6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $89,450 | $83,751 (+6.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.