City comparison
Houston, TX vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Houston, TX (98.6) and Virginia Beach, VA (97.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Houston, TX goes as far as $99,300 in Virginia Beach, VA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.0% moving from Houston, TX to Virginia Beach, VA ($122,749 → $108,019), while prices change by −0.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.4% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- 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
| Houston, TX | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,302 in Virginia Beach | $100,702 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Virginia Beach, VA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
71 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −0.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Houston → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $62,640 | −11.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $75,788 | −11.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $90,838 | −11.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $108,019 | −11.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $127,646 | −11.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $63,380 | $63,825 (−1.0%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $129,090 | $129,997 (+0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $79,450 | $80,008 (−6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $89,450 | $90,078 (−9.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.