City comparison
Kingsport, TN 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 13.3% higher than in Kingsport, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Kingsport, TN would need about $113,300 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 $818 in Kingsport, TN. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 12% in Kingsport, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Kingsport, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Kingsport, TN to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by +13.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.4% in real buying power.
- Kingsport, TN: price level 86.4 (much 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
| Kingsport, TN | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.4 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,296 in Virginia Beach | $88,264 in Kingsport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $818/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 12% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,240 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kingsport | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 56.5 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 75.9 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 95.8 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 86.4 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kingsport, TN → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
38 Weak offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Kingsport, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.3%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kingsport, TN 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 Kingsport, TN to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kingsport, TN | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Kingsport → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | −10.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | −10.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | −10.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | −10.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | −10.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kingsport, TN | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Kingsport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,130 | $63,380 | $55,942 (−3.8%) |
| Software Developers | $115,310 | $129,090 | $113,940 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,940 | $79,450 | $70,126 (−7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $76,730 | $89,450 | $78,952 (+2.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.