Virginia Retirement System (VRS) vs Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Virginia Retirement System (VRS) (B) and Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) (B) are close on the PensionRisk rubric. Funding ratios sit at 75% and 79% 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
Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 71/100 (B) compared to Virginia Retirement System (VRS) at 70/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 4.0 percentage points (79.1% vs 75.1%). Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) covers 378,000 participants.
| Metric | Virginia Retirement System (VRS) | Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 70/100 (B) | 71/100 (B)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 75.1% | 79.1%* |
| Total Assets | $87.0B | $35.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $115.8B | $44.2B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $28.8B | $9.2B* |
| Participants | 740,000 | 378,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 6.0%* | 5.9% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | moderate |
| Sponsor | State of Virginia | State of Minnesota |
Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 71/100 (B) compared to Virginia Retirement System (VRS) at 70/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 4.0 percentage points (79.1% vs 75.1%). Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) covers 378,000 participants.
Explore More
Related Comparisons
- Virginia Retirement System (VRS) vs Raytheon Company Pension Plan for Salaried Employees
- Virginia Retirement System (VRS) vs Sheet Metal Workers National Pension Fund
- Virginia Retirement System (VRS) vs Boeing Company Employee Retirement Plan
- Virginia Retirement System (VRS) vs Northrop Grumman Pension Plan
- Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) vs Minnesota Teachers Retirement Association (TRA)
- Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) vs Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS)
- Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) vs 3M Company Pension Plan
- Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) vs California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)