City comparison
Tuscaloosa, AL 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 11.6% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $111,600 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,936 in VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Tuscaloosa, AL to Virginia Beach, VA ($107,510 → $108,019), while prices change by +11.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.0% in real buying power.
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much 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
| Tuscaloosa, AL | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.7 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,649 in Virginia Beach | $89,566 in Tuscaloosa |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $972/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Tuscaloosa, AL and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tuscaloosa | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.2 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 87.7 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tuscaloosa, AL → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$201/yr.
38 Weak offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$201/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tuscaloosa, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Tuscaloosa, AL to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tuscaloosa, AL | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Tuscaloosa → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $62,640 | −10.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $75,788 | −10.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $90,838 | −10.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $108,019 | −10.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $127,646 | −10.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tuscaloosa, AL | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Tuscaloosa dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,220 | $63,380 | $56,767 (−5.7%) |
| Software Developers | $104,870 | $129,090 | $115,621 (+10.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,690 | $79,450 | $71,160 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $75,250 | $89,450 | $80,117 (+6.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.