City comparison
Des Moines, IA 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 9.3% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $109,300 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 $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Des Moines, IA than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.3% moving from Des Moines, IA to Las Vegas, NV ($107,301 → $108,719), while prices change by +9.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.3% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (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
| Des Moines, IA | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,285 in Las Vegas | $91,504 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
42 Weak offer
Las Vegas, NV → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Des Moines → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $63,046 | −7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $76,280 | −7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $91,427 | −7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $108,719 | −7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $128,473 | −7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $65,040 | $59,514 (−3.5%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $129,940 | $118,901 (−6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $80,530 | $73,688 (−7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $103,940 | $95,110 (+21.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.