City comparison
Modesto, CA vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 6.3% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $106,300 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,070 a year in CA and $4,936 in VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −18.8% moving from Modesto, CA to Virginia Beach, VA ($133,060 → $108,019), while prices change by −5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.7% in real buying power.
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Modesto, CA | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.1 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,076 in Virginia Beach | $106,297 in Modesto |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,356/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,610 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Modesto, CA MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Modesto, CA and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Modesto | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.5 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 152.3 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 104.1 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Modesto, CA → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$135/yr.
88 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$135/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Modesto, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Modesto, CA to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Modesto, CA | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Modesto → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $62,640 | −13.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $75,788 | −13.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $90,838 | −13.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $108,019 | −13.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $127,646 | −13.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Modesto, CA | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Modesto dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,640 | $63,380 | $67,371 (−33.7%) |
| Software Developers | $119,770 | $129,090 | $137,218 (+14.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,560 | $79,450 | $84,453 (+1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $132,590 | $89,450 | $95,082 (−28.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.