City comparison
Knoxville, TN 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 8.3% higher than in Knoxville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Knoxville, TN would need about $108,300 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 $1,184 in Knoxville, TN. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 18% in Knoxville, TN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TN and $0 in NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.1% moving from Knoxville, TN to Las Vegas, NV ($106,437 → $108,719), while prices change by +8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- Knoxville, TN: price level 92.6 (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
| Knoxville, TN | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,260 in Las Vegas | $92,370 in Knoxville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,184/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,080 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Knoxville, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Knoxville, TN and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Knoxville | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 82.8 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 71.9 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Knoxville, TN → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
45 Weak offer
Las Vegas, NV → Knoxville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Knoxville, TN 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 Knoxville, TN to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Knoxville, TN | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Knoxville → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,046 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,280 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,427 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,719 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,473 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Knoxville, TN | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Knoxville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,980 | $65,040 | $60,078 (−3.1%) |
| Software Developers | $121,750 | $129,940 | $120,026 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,380 | $80,530 | $74,386 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,240 | $103,940 | $96,010 (+24.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.