City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Las Vegas, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 2.9% higher than in Las Vegas, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV would need about $102,900 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,478 in Las Vegas, NV. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 22% in Las Vegas, NV.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Las Vegas, NV ($115,711 → $108,719), while prices change by −2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.3% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Dallas, TX | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,211 in Las Vegas | $102,869 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
78 Strong offer
Las Vegas, NV → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Dallas → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $63,046 | −3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $76,280 | −3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $91,427 | −3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $108,719 | −3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $128,473 | −3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $65,040 | $66,906 (+2.8%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $129,940 | $133,668 (+0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $80,530 | $82,840 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $103,940 | $106,922 (+5.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.