City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA 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 10.4% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $110,400 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 $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Baton Rouge, LA than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.1% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Las Vegas, NV ($106,437 → $108,719), while prices change by +10.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.5% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,393 in Las Vegas | $90,585 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
39 Weak offer
Las Vegas, NV → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Baton Rouge → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,046 | −7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,280 | −7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,427 | −7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,719 | −7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,473 | −7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $65,040 | $58,917 (−0.7%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $129,940 | $117,706 (+15.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $80,530 | $72,948 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $103,940 | $94,154 (+16.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.