City comparison
Little Rock, AR vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 8.4% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $108,400 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, 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 Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Little Rock, AR to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by +8.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Little Rock, AR | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,428 in Tucson | $92,227 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $1,081/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,396/yr.
44 Weak offer
Tucson, AZ → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,396/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Little Rock, AR is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Little Rock, AR to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Little Rock → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $47,220 | $43,549 (−25.7%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $123,710 | $114,094 (+9.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $76,320 | $70,387 (+7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $94,110 | $86,795 (+7.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.