City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 9.2% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $109,200 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.2% moving from Kansas City, MO to Reno, NV ($108,173 → $106,855), while prices change by +9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.5% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kansas City, MO | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,154 in Reno | $91,614 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
43 Weak offer
Reno, NV → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Reno, NV | Real change, Kansas City → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $61,965 | −9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $74,972 | −9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $89,859 | −9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $106,855 | −9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $126,271 | −9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $62,430 | $57,195 (−6.3%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $125,710 | $115,168 (−7.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $82,370 | $75,462 (−5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $107,520 | $98,503 (+18.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.