Springfield, MO vs Virginia Beach, VA
Moving from Springfield to Virginia Beach? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($272,938 → $373,678 median home) and taxes.
Springfield vs Virginia Beach at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Springfield, MO, you'd need about $109,664 in Virginia Beach, VA (+$9,664).
Livability — Springfield, MO: 69 · Virginia Beach, VA: 68 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 3,205 sqft in Springfield vs 2,677 sqft in Virginia Beach ($156 vs $187 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Springfield, MO | Virginia Beach, VA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $15,252 | $22,344 | +$7,092 |
| Groceries | $4,830 | $4,853 | +$23 |
| Transportation | $3,390 | $3,080 | −$310 |
| Utilities | $1,512 | $1,872 | +$360 |
| Insurance | $2,400 | $1,500 | −$900 |
| Taxes | $9,116 | $10,303 | +$1,187 |
| Total | $36,500 | $43,952 | +$7,451 |
Side by side
| Metric | Springfield, MO | Virginia Beach, VA |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 89.1 | 97.7 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.91% | 5.24% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 4.8% | 4.7% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 45 | 41 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.07 | $5.56 |
| Median home price | $272,938 | $373,678 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.7× | 4.8× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 2.4% | 2.5% |
| Price per square foot | $156 | $187 |
| Median rent | $1,271 | $1,862 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 9.3% | 12.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.38% | 5.73% |
| Capital gains tax | 4.80% | 5.75% |
| Property tax rate | 0.72% | 0.86% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,400 | $6,800 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $10,000 | $15,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 2.55% | 3.97% |
| Avg commute (min) | 23 | 25 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,400 | $1,500 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,800 | $1,400 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $750 | $700 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $400 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 14.0 | 17.4 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.00 | 3.20 |
| Violent crime /100k | 490 | 200 |
| Avg summer high °F | 89 | 87 |
| Avg winter low °F | 22 | 28 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 3 |