City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Las Vegas, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 9.4% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $109,400 in Las Vegas, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Las Vegas, NV versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.1% moving from Birmingham, AL to Las Vegas, NV ($107,510 → $108,719), while prices change by +9.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.5% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,352 in Las Vegas | $91,447 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
42 Weak offer
Las Vegas, NV → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Birmingham → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $63,046 | −7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $76,280 | −7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $91,427 | −7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $108,719 | −7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $128,473 | −7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $65,040 | $59,477 (−5.0%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $129,940 | $118,827 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $80,530 | $73,643 (−6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $103,940 | $95,050 (+20.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.