City comparison
Salt Lake City, UT vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 3.0% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $103,000 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT and $1,512 in Virginia Beach, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,402 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Salt Lake City, UT to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by −2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.5% in real buying power.
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (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
| Salt Lake City, UT | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,098 in Virginia Beach | $102,989 in Salt Lake City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,456/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 | 23% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,240 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Salt Lake City-Murray, UT and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salt Lake City | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.3 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 79.0 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salt Lake City, UT → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,402/yr.
78 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,402/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salt Lake City, 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 Salt Lake City, UT to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salt Lake City, UT | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Salt Lake City → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | +4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | +4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | +4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | +4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | +4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salt Lake City, UT | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Salt Lake City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,920 | $63,380 | $65,274 (−16.2%) |
| Software Developers | $129,600 | $129,090 | $132,948 (+2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,100 | $79,450 | $81,824 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $85,890 | $89,450 | $92,123 (+7.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.