City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Las Vegas, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Detroit, MI (100.3) and Las Vegas, NV (100.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Detroit, MI goes as far as $99,900 in Las Vegas, NV.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Las Vegas, NV versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.4% moving from Detroit, MI to Las Vegas, NV ($117,402 → $108,719), while prices change by −0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.3% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- 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
| Detroit, MI | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,917 in Las Vegas | $100,083 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Las Vegas, NV
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
69 Fair offer
Las Vegas, NV → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Detroit → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $63,046 | −7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $76,280 | −7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $91,427 | −7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $108,719 | −7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $128,473 | −7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $65,040 | $65,094 (−0.2%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $129,940 | $130,048 (−0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $80,530 | $80,597 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $103,940 | $104,026 (+6.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.