City comparison
Akron, OH vs Las Vegas, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 7.3% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $107,300 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 $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Akron, OH than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Akron, OH to Las Vegas, NV ($111,138 → $108,719), while prices change by +7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.9% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,331 in Las Vegas | $93,170 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
47 Fair offer
Las Vegas, NV → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Akron → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $63,046 | −8.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $76,280 | −8.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $91,427 | −8.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $108,719 | −8.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $128,473 | −8.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $65,040 | $60,598 (−22.9%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $129,940 | $121,065 (+14.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $80,530 | $75,030 (−4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $103,940 | $96,841 (+19.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.