City comparison
Harrisburg, PA 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 1.6% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $101,600 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 $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Harrisburg, PA than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.1% moving from Harrisburg, PA to Las Vegas, NV ($108,592 → $108,719), while prices change by +1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (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
| Harrisburg, PA | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,586 in Las Vegas | $98,438 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → Las Vegas, NV
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
64 Fair offer
Las Vegas, NV → Harrisburg, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Harrisburg → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $63,046 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $76,280 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $91,427 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $108,719 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $128,473 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $65,040 | $64,024 (−17.0%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $129,940 | $127,911 (+16.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $80,530 | $79,272 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $103,940 | $102,317 (+5.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.