City comparison
Little Rock, AR vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 15.6% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $115,600 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,396 a year higher in Little Rock, AR than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Little Rock, AR to Phoenix, AZ ($106,437 → $111,338), while prices change by +15.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.5% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Little Rock, AR | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,613 in Phoenix | $86,496 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,396/yr.
38 Weak offer
Phoenix, AZ → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,396/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Little Rock, AR is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Little Rock, AR to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Little Rock → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,564 | −9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,117 | −9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,629 | −9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,338 | −9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,568 | −9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $59,180 | $51,188 (−12.6%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $131,750 | $113,958 (+9.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $80,820 | $69,906 (+6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $100,830 | $87,214 (+7.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.