City comparison
Little Rock, AR vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Richmond, VA are 9.5% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $109,500 in Richmond, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,249 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Little Rock, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.5% moving from Little Rock, AR to Richmond, VA ($106,437 → $111,183), while prices change by +9.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.6% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- Richmond, 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
| Little Rock, AR | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,505 in Richmond | $91,320 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → Richmond, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,249/yr.
42 Weak offer
Richmond, VA → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,249/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Little Rock, AR is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Little Rock, AR to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | Richmond, VA | Real change, Little Rock → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,475 | −4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,009 | −4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,499 | −4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,183 | −4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,385 | −4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $61,290 | $55,970 (−4.5%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $132,120 | $120,652 (+15.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $84,220 | $76,910 (+16.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $93,580 | $85,457 (+5.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.