City comparison
Provo, UT vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Provo, UT (98.2) and Virginia Beach, VA (97.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Provo, UT goes as far as $99,700 in Virginia Beach, VA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,265 in Provo, UT. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 20% in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,402 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Provo, UT to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by −0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.8% in real buying power.
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (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
| Provo, UT | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,704 in Virginia Beach | $100,297 in Provo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,265/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,010 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Provo | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.1 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 78.6 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Provo, UT → Virginia Beach, VA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,402/yr.
70 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Provo, UT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,402/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Provo, UT 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 Provo, UT to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Provo, UT | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Provo → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Provo, UT | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Provo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $63,380 | $63,568 (+1.0%) |
| Software Developers | $131,210 | $129,090 | $129,474 (−1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,700 | $79,450 | $79,686 (+5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,780 | $89,450 | $89,716 (+9.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.