City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Las Vegas, NV (100.2) and Spokane, WA (100.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV goes as far as $100,100 in Spokane, WA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Las Vegas, NV versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- 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 −1.6% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Spokane, WA ($108,719 → $106,991), while prices change by +0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.7% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,131 in Spokane | $99,869 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,193/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
68 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Las Vegas, NV
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Spokane, WA | Real change, Las Vegas → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $62,044 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $75,068 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $89,974 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $106,991 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $126,432 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $98,800 | $98,671 (+51.7%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $130,690 | $130,519 (+0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $86,350 | $86,237 (+7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $111,750 | $111,604 (+7.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.