Franklin vs Virginia Beach
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $382,500 in Virginia Beach and $705,400 in Franklin.
- Households earn more in Franklin ($119,528 vs $92,968 median).
- Franklin is growing faster: +8% since 2020 vs -1.2%.
- Tennessee has no state income tax on wages; Virginia's top rate is 5.75%.
Side by side
| Franklin, TN | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 90,226 | 453,737 |
| Growth since 2020 | +8% | -1.2% |
| People per square mile | 2,025 | 1,854 |
| Median age | 38.6 | 37.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 65% | 41% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $119,528 | $92,968 |
| Median home value | $705,400 | $382,500 |
| Home value to income | 5.9× | 4.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,923 | $1,714 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 96.3 | 97.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 104.6 | 99.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $72,300 | $73,500 |
| Homeowners | 64% | 65% |
| Top state income tax | None | 5.75% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.61% | 5.77% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 23.9 | 23.4 |
| Work from home | 30% | 14% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 2.2% | 4% |
| Poverty rate | 4.6% | 8.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 49° / 29° | 50° / 32° |
| July high / low | 91° / 69° | 87° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 54 in | 47 in |
| Snowfall per year | 2 in | 3 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 45 | 32 |
| Nights below freezing | 84 | 50 |
| Comfortable months | 2 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 85.1 | 57.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 51% | 78% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.6% | +3.6% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.8% | +43.4% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Franklin: September to October. Virginia Beach: April to June and October.
Full monthly tables: Franklin weather by month and Virginia Beach weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $72,300 in Franklin and $73,500 in Virginia Beach. Moving from Franklin to Virginia Beach, you would need about $76,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.