City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Las Vegas, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 5.2% higher than in Las Vegas, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV would need about $105,200 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Las Vegas, NV versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in AK and $0 in NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.7% moving from Anchorage, AK to Las Vegas, NV ($120,348 → $108,719), while prices change by −4.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- 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
| Anchorage, AK | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,063 in Las Vegas | $105,194 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
85 Strong offer
Las Vegas, NV → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Anchorage → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $63,046 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $76,280 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $91,427 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $108,719 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $128,473 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $65,040 | $68,418 (−13.7%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $129,940 | $136,689 (+31.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $80,530 | $84,713 (+3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $103,940 | $109,338 (−5.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.