City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 14.2% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $114,200 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Tuscaloosa, AL ($108,719 → $107,510), while prices change by −12.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.0% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,534 in Tuscaloosa | $114,242 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Las Vegas → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $62,344 | +13.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $75,431 | +13.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $90,410 | +13.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $107,510 | +13.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $127,044 | +13.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $60,220 | $68,796 (+5.8%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $104,870 | $119,805 (−7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $71,690 | $81,900 (+1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $75,250 | $85,967 (−17.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.