City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 3.4% higher than in Las Vegas, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV would need about $103,400 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $1,478 in Las Vegas, NV. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 22% in Las Vegas, NV.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in NV and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.0% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Olympia, WA ($108,719 → $119,630), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.4% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,448 in Olympia | $96,667 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
58 Fair offer
Olympia, WA → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Olympia, WA | Real change, Las Vegas → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $69,373 | +6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $83,935 | +6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $100,602 | +6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $119,630 | +6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $141,367 | +6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $104,650 | $101,162 (+55.5%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $124,060 | $119,925 (−7.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $94,470 | $91,322 (+13.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $125,020 | $120,853 (+16.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.