City comparison
Virginia Beach, VA vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 1.9% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $101,900 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA and $1,445 in Waterbury, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,011 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Waterbury, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.1% moving from Virginia Beach, VA to Waterbury, CT ($108,019 → $125,431), while prices change by +1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.0% in real buying power.
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Virginia Beach, VA | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.9 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,876 in Waterbury | $98,159 in Virginia Beach |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,512/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,244 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,936 (VA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,430 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Virginia Beach | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.8 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 96.8 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 89.6 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 97.9 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Virginia Beach, VA → Waterbury, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,011/yr.
63 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Virginia Beach, VA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,011/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Virginia Beach, VA is in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Virginia Beach, VA to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Virginia Beach, VA | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Virginia Beach → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,640 | $72,737 | +14.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,788 | $88,005 | +14.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,838 | $105,481 | +14.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,019 | $125,431 | +14.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,646 | $148,222 | +14.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Virginia Beach, VA | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Virginia Beach dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,380 | $79,640 | $78,174 (+23.3%) |
| Software Developers | $129,090 | $131,290 | $128,873 (−0.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,450 | $93,010 | $91,298 (+14.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,450 | $101,690 | $99,818 (+11.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.