City comparison
New Orleans, LA 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 New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA 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 $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,322 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in New Orleans, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from New Orleans, LA 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.
- New Orleans, LA: 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
| New Orleans, LA | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,771 in Virginia Beach | $94,544 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$2,322/yr.
52 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,322/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Orleans, LA 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 New Orleans, LA to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, New Orleans → 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 | New Orleans, LA | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $63,380 | $59,922 (−0.7%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $129,090 | $122,046 (+14.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $79,450 | $75,115 (−3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $89,450 | $84,569 (+3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.