City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 3.3% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $103,300 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 $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.4% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Rochester, NY ($108,719 → $107,182), while prices change by −3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.8% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,827 in Rochester | $103,277 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
79 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Rochester, NY | Real change, Las Vegas → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $62,155 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $75,202 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $90,135 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $107,182 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $126,657 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $62,840 | $64,899 (−0.2%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $122,770 | $126,793 (−2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $80,890 | $83,541 (+3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $86,570 | $89,407 (−14.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.