City comparison
Knoxville, 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 5.8% higher than in Knoxville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Knoxville, TN would need about $105,800 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 $1,184 in Knoxville, TN. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 18% in Knoxville, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Knoxville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Knoxville, TN to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by +5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Knoxville, TN: price level 92.6 (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
| Knoxville, TN | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,803 in Virginia Beach | $94,515 in Knoxville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,184/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 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,080 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Knoxville, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Knoxville, TN and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Knoxville | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 82.8 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 71.9 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Knoxville, TN → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
52 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Knoxville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Knoxville, 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 Knoxville, TN to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Knoxville, TN | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Knoxville → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Knoxville, TN | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Knoxville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,980 | $63,380 | $59,904 (−3.4%) |
| Software Developers | $121,750 | $129,090 | $122,009 (+0.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,380 | $79,450 | $75,092 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,240 | $89,450 | $84,544 (+9.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.