City comparison
Dayton, OH 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 8.1% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $108,100 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 $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Dayton, OH than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.5% moving from Dayton, OH to Las Vegas, NV ($110,401 → $108,719), while prices change by +8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.9% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (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
| Dayton, OH | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,114 in Las Vegas | $92,495 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
45 Fair offer
Las Vegas, NV → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Dayton → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $63,046 | −8.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $76,280 | −8.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $91,427 | −8.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $108,719 | −8.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $128,473 | −8.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $65,040 | $60,159 (−25.1%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $129,940 | $120,188 (+12.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $80,530 | $74,486 (−5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $103,940 | $96,139 (+16.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.