City comparison
Gainesville, FL 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 1.2% higher than in Gainesville, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Gainesville, FL would need about $101,200 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 $1,246 in Gainesville, FL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 19% in Gainesville, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Gainesville, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Gainesville, FL to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by +1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.2% in real buying power.
- Gainesville, FL: price level 96.7 (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
| Gainesville, FL | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.7 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,249 in Virginia Beach | $98,767 in Gainesville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,246/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,020 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Gainesville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Gainesville, FL and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Gainesville | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.0 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 88.2 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 96.7 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Gainesville, FL → Virginia Beach, VA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
65 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Gainesville, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
73 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Gainesville, FL 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 Gainesville, FL to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Gainesville, FL | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Gainesville → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | +0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | +0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | +0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | +0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | +0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Gainesville, FL | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Gainesville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $104,000 | $126,030 | $124,476 (+19.7%) |
| Software Developers | $122,950 | $129,090 | $127,498 (+3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,820 | $79,450 | $78,470 (+3.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,870 | $89,450 | $88,347 (+7.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.