City comparison
Fort Wayne, IN 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 5.8% higher than in Fort Wayne, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Wayne, IN would need about $105,800 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 $916 in Fort Wayne, IN. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 14% in Fort Wayne, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,015 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Fort Wayne, IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Fort Wayne, IN to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by +5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Fort Wayne, IN: price level 92.6 (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
| Fort Wayne, IN | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,800 in Virginia Beach | $94,518 in Fort Wayne |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $916/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,260 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,921 (IN) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,700 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Fort Wayne, IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fort Wayne, IN and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Wayne | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.3 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 94.3 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 86.2 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 99.1 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Wayne, IN → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$2,015/yr.
52 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Fort Wayne, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$2,015/yr.
87 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Fort Wayne, IN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Fort Wayne, IN to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Wayne, IN | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Fort Wayne → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Wayne, IN | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Fort Wayne dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $97,000 | $126,030 | $119,121 (+22.8%) |
| Software Developers | $101,560 | $129,090 | $122,013 (+20.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $79,450 | $75,095 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,630 | $89,450 | $84,546 (+6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.