City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Blacksburg | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,237/mo | $1,250/mo | 1.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $387,700 | $215,500 | 79.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $42,012 | $57,537 | 27.0% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.3 | 97.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 90.1 | 107.5 | 16.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.2 | 98.6 | 0.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.5 | 101.8 | 4.2% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Blacksburg, you'd need $114,956 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Blacksburg, VA is about 13% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% lower in Blacksburg than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Blacksburg, you'd need about $91,965 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.