Virginia Retirement System (VRS) vs Washington State Department of Retirement Systems
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Virginia Retirement System (VRS) (B) and Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (A) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 75% and 88% 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
Washington State Department of Retirement Systems has a stronger Pension Health Score of 82/100 (A) compared to Virginia Retirement System (VRS) at 70/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 12.7 percentage points (87.8% vs 75.1%). Washington State Department of Retirement Systems covers 528,000 participants.
| Metric | Virginia Retirement System (VRS) | Washington State Department of Retirement Systems |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 70/100 (B) | 82/100 (A)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 75.1% | 87.8%* |
| Total Assets | $87.0B | $108.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $115.8B* | $123.0B |
| Unfunded Liability | $28.8B | $15.0B* |
| Participants | 740,000 | 528,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 6.0% | 6.7%* |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | low |
| Sponsor | State of Virginia | State of Washington |
Washington State Department of Retirement Systems has a stronger Pension Health Score of 82/100 (A) compared to Virginia Retirement System (VRS) at 70/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 12.7 percentage points (87.8% vs 75.1%). Washington State Department of Retirement Systems covers 528,000 participants.