City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Louisville, KY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 7.7% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $107,700 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 $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,382 a year higher in Louisville, KY than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.1% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Louisville, KY ($108,719 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.4% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,874 in Louisville | $107,672 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,047/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,798 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $3,382 (KY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $48,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 75.0 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 96.8 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,382/yr.
93 Strong offer
Louisville, KY → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,382/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Louisville, KY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Louisville, KY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Louisville, KY | Real change, Las Vegas → Louisville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $61,722 | +5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $74,678 | +5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $89,508 | +5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $106,437 | +5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $125,776 | +5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Louisville, KY | Louisville pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $61,610 | $66,337 (+2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $110,270 | $118,730 (−8.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $76,320 | $82,176 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $84,850 | $91,360 (−12.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.