PlainRelocate

Winston-Salem → Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Winston-Salem to Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.0 to 97.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $327/mo.

+$5,374
BLS median salary higher in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
365 to 223
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
15.8:1 to 13.9:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$920
DOL infant care higher / yr in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Favorable
Cost Index: 92.0 → 97.9
Rent Delta: +$327/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $5K higher median salary
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - 6% higher cost of living
  • - $327/mo more expensive rent (2BR)

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 92.0 to 97.9, so the same paycheck buys less in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk (ratio 1.06). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $327/mo ($3,924/yr) from $960 in Winston-Salem to $1,287 in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk sits #129 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Winston-Salem is #82/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $5,374 higher ($63,918 → $69,292). Labor-market size: 259,100 tracked jobs at origin vs 741,260 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: North Carolina 68 (C, #13/51) vs Virginia 64 (C, #20/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Winston-Salem
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 92.0
RPP 97.9
Winston-Salem
Rent (2BR)
$960/mo
$1,287/mo
Winston-Salem
Wages
$63,918
$69,292
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Crime
365 per 100K
223 per 100K
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Schools
15.8:1
13.9:1
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Childcare
$9,487/yr
$10,407/yr
Winston-Salem
Environment
3120 violations
1933 violations
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · North Carolina
68 C #13/51
Income tax
68
Property tax
66
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
30
Destination state · Virginia
64 C #20/51
Income tax
78
Property tax
71
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
62

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Winston-Salem to see what you'd need to earn in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
-
See the reverse: Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk → Winston-Salem

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026