City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI 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 2.5% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $102,500 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 $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $937 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Grand Rapids, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.0% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (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
| Grand Rapids, MI | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,507 in Virginia Beach | $97,555 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$937/yr.
61 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$937/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI 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 Grand Rapids, MI to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Grand Rapids → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $63,380 | $61,830 (−0.1%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $129,090 | $125,933 (+17.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $79,450 | $77,507 (+1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $89,450 | $87,263 (+4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.