Virginia Retirement System (VRS) vs Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Virginia Retirement System (VRS) (B) and Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) (C) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 75% and 65% respectively — within a few points of each other.
With grades this close, the comparison turns on plan-specific factors: status (active vs frozen), participant maturity, sponsor financial health, and multi-year trajectory rather than the headline composite.
Verdict
Virginia Retirement System (VRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 70/100 (B) compared to Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) at 61/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 10.3 percentage points (75.1% vs 64.8%). Virginia Retirement System (VRS) covers 740,000 participants.
| Metric | Virginia Retirement System (VRS) | Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 70/100 (B)* | 61/100 (C) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 75.1%* | 64.8% |
| Total Assets | $87.0B | $58.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $115.8B | $89.5B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $28.8B* | $31.5B |
| Participants | 740,000 | 625,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 6.0%* | 5.5% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | high |
| Sponsor | State of Virginia | State of Colorado |
Virginia Retirement System (VRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 70/100 (B) compared to Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) at 61/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 10.3 percentage points (75.1% vs 64.8%). Virginia Retirement System (VRS) covers 740,000 participants.