City comparison
Jacksonville, FL vs Las Vegas, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Jacksonville, FL (99.5) and Las Vegas, NV (100.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Jacksonville, FL goes as far as $100,700 in Las Vegas, NV.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Las Vegas, NV versus $1,382 in Jacksonville, FL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 21% in Jacksonville, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.1% moving from Jacksonville, FL to Las Vegas, NV ($106,437 → $108,719), while prices change by +0.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.4% in real buying power.
- Jacksonville, FL: price level 99.5 (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
| Jacksonville, FL | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.5 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,735 in Las Vegas | $99,271 in Jacksonville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,382/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,830 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Jacksonville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Jacksonville, FL and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jacksonville | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.8 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 87.5 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 99.5 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jacksonville, FL → Las Vegas, NV
Roughly even
Buying power −0.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
66 Fair offer
Las Vegas, NV → Jacksonville, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.7%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Jacksonville, FL 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 Jacksonville, FL to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jacksonville, FL | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Jacksonville → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,046 | +1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,280 | +1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,427 | +1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,719 | +1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,473 | +1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jacksonville, FL | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Jacksonville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,080 | $65,040 | $64,566 (+5.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $129,940 | $128,992 (−1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,960 | $80,530 | $79,943 (−0.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,520 | $103,940 | $103,182 (+23.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.