City comparison
Huntington, WV 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 13.3% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $113,300 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 $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,885 a year higher in Huntington, WV than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.1% moving from Huntington, WV to Las Vegas, NV ($106,437 → $108,719), while prices change by +13.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.9% in real buying power.
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (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
| Huntington, WV | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.4 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,337 in Las Vegas | $88,232 in Huntington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $853/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,295 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,885 (WV) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,600 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntington | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 51.3 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 88.4 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntington, WV → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,885/yr.
38 Weak offer
Las Vegas, NV → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,885/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntington, WV is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntington, WV to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntington, WV | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Huntington → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,046 | −9.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,280 | −9.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,427 | −9.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,719 | −9.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,473 | −9.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntington, WV | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Huntington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,450 | $65,040 | $57,386 (−0.1%) |
| Software Developers | $110,780 | $129,940 | $114,649 (+3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,840 | $80,530 | $71,053 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $103,940 | $91,709 (+13.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.