City comparison
Sacramento, CA vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 8.9% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $108,900 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,512 in Virginia Beach, VA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 24% in Virginia Beach, VA.
- 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 −8.4% moving from Sacramento, CA to Virginia Beach, VA ($117,984 → $108,019), while prices change by −8.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (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
| Sacramento, CA | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.7 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,817 in Virginia Beach | $108,913 in Sacramento |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,832/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 | 30% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,750 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sacramento | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 130.2 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 151.3 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 106.7 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sacramento, CA → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$135/yr.
97 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$135/yr.
36 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Sacramento, CA is in the Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Sacramento, CA to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sacramento, CA | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Sacramento → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,419 | $62,640 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,780 | $75,788 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,218 | $90,838 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,984 | $108,019 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $139,422 | $127,646 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sacramento, CA | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Sacramento dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $103,390 | $63,380 | $69,029 (−33.2%) |
| Software Developers | $139,640 | $129,090 | $140,595 (+0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,110 | $79,450 | $86,531 (−6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $171,460 | $89,450 | $97,422 (−43.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.