City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 4.4% higher than in Reno, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Reno, NV would need about $104,400 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in AK and $0 in NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.2% moving from Anchorage, AK to Reno, NV ($120,348 → $106,855), while prices change by −4.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.3% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,821 in Reno | $104,362 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Reno, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
82 Strong offer
Reno, NV → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Reno, NV | Real change, Anchorage → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $61,965 | −7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $74,972 | −7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $89,859 | −7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $106,855 | −7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $126,271 | −7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $62,430 | $65,153 (−17.8%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $125,710 | $131,193 (+26.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $82,370 | $85,963 (+4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $107,520 | $112,210 (−2.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.