Median rent is 7% lower in Virginia Beach ($1,714/mo vs $1,841/mo). Buying is cheaper in Virginia Beach, where the median home runs $382,500 versus $465,900. Households earn more in Plano ($112,253 vs $92,968 a year).
City A
Plano, TX
City B
Virginia Beach, VA
How much would you need to earn in Virginia Beach, VA to maintain your standard of living from Plano, TX?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Plano
Texas
Virginia Beach
Virginia
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Virginia Beach at $1,714/mo compared to $1,841/mo in Plano (7% gap). Median home values are within 18% of each other: $465,900 in Plano and $382,500 in Virginia Beach.
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Plano
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Virginia Beach
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Virginia Beach has cleaner air on average: 45.0 AQI (Good) compared to 55.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Plano if you prioritize higher median household income ($112,253/yr).
Pick Virginia Beach if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 45.0).
Is Plano cheaper than Virginia Beach?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Plano vs Virginia Beach?
Median rent is $1,841/mo in Plano, TX and $1,714/mo in Virginia Beach, VA. Virginia Beach, VA has the lower rent by about 7%.
Which has higher salaries — Plano or Virginia Beach?
Median household income is $112,253 in Plano, TX and $92,968 in Virginia Beach, VA. Plano, TX has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Virginia Beach, VA has better air quality on average: 45.0 AQI versus 55.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Plano or Virginia Beach?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Virginia Beach to match my Plano income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
