City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 10.9% higher than in Las Vegas, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV would need about $110,900 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,478 in Las Vegas, NV. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, 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 Seattle, WA ($108,719 → $119,630), while prices change by +10.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.8% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,895 in Seattle | $90,176 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $2,146/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% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
27 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Seattle, WA | Real change, Las Vegas → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $69,373 | −0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $83,935 | −0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $100,602 | −0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $119,630 | −0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $141,367 | −0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $102,920 | $92,809 (+42.7%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $167,280 | $150,846 (+16.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $99,370 | $89,608 (+11.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $128,260 | $115,659 (+11.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.