City comparison
Green Bay, WI 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 5.2% higher than in Green Bay, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Green Bay, WI would need about $105,200 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 $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,016 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Green Bay, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Green Bay, WI to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by +5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.5% in real buying power.
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (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
| Green Bay, WI | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,216 in Virginia Beach | $95,043 in Green Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $931/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,940 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Green Bay, WI and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Green Bay | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.7 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 90.0 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Green Bay, WI → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,016/yr.
53 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Green Bay, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,016/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Green Bay, WI 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 Green Bay, WI to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Green Bay, WI | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Green Bay → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | −3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | −3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | −3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | −3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | −3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Green Bay, WI | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Green Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,600 | $63,380 | $60,238 (−0.6%) |
| Software Developers | $103,160 | $129,090 | $122,691 (+18.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,720 | $79,450 | $75,512 (−2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,700 | $89,450 | $85,016 (+0.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.