City comparison
Port St. Lucie, FL vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 2.3% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $102,300 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL and $1,512 in Virginia Beach, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.7% moving from Port St. Lucie, FL to Virginia Beach, VA ($113,356 → $108,019), while prices change by −2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.5% in real buying power.
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
- 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
| Port St. Lucie, FL | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,718 in Virginia Beach | $102,335 in Port St. Lucie |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,467/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,490 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Port St. Lucie, FL MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Port St. Lucie, FL and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Port St. Lucie | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.6 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 87.0 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Port St. Lucie, FL → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
76 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Port St. Lucie, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Port St. Lucie, FL to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Port St. Lucie → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $62,640 | −2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $75,788 | −2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $90,838 | −2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $108,019 | −2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $127,646 | −2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Port St. Lucie dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $53,610 | $63,380 | $64,860 (+21.0%) |
| Software Developers | $128,510 | $129,090 | $132,104 (+2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,430 | $79,450 | $81,305 (+2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,090 | $89,450 | $91,539 (+11.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.