Virginia Retirement System (VRS) vs NYC Employees Retirement System (NYCERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Virginia Retirement System (VRS) (B) and NYC Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) (B) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 75% and 77% 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
NYC Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 71/100 (B) compared to Virginia Retirement System (VRS) at 70/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 1.7 percentage points (76.8% vs 75.1%). NYC Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) covers 370,000 participants.
| Metric | Virginia Retirement System (VRS) | NYC Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) |
|---|---|---|
| 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% | 76.8%* |
| Total Assets | $87.0B | $77.2B |
| Total Liabilities | $115.8B | $100.5B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $28.8B | $23.3B* |
| Participants | 740,000 | 370,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 6.0%* | 5.6% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | moderate |
| Sponsor | State of Virginia | New York City |
NYC Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 71/100 (B) compared to Virginia Retirement System (VRS) at 70/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 1.7 percentage points (76.8% vs 75.1%). NYC Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) covers 370,000 participants.