City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 11.3% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $111,300 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, 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 Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.4% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Reno, NV ($106,437 → $106,855), while prices change by +11.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.8% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (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 | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,273 in Reno | $89,869 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,489/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% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
38 Weak offer
Reno, NV → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.3%; 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; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Reno, NV | Real change, Baton Rouge → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,965 | −9.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,972 | −9.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,859 | −9.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,855 | −9.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,271 | −9.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $62,430 | $56,105 (−5.4%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $125,710 | $112,974 (+10.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $82,370 | $74,025 (+1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $107,520 | $96,627 (+19.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.