City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 3.4% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $103,400 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 $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,919 a year higher in Milwaukee, WI than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.4% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Milwaukee, WI ($108,719 → $111,310), while prices change by −3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.8% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,729 in Milwaukee | $103,382 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,919/yr.
79 Strong offer
Milwaukee, WI → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,919/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Las Vegas → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $64,548 | +5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $78,098 | +5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $93,606 | +5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $111,310 | +5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $131,535 | +5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $61,480 | $63,559 (−2.3%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $123,730 | $127,914 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $80,290 | $83,005 (+3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $97,360 | $100,652 (−3.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.