City comparison
Cincinnati, 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 5.1% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $105,100 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 $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Cincinnati, OH than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.9% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Las Vegas, NV ($110,865 → $108,719), while prices change by +5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.7% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (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
| Cincinnati, OH | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,080 in Las Vegas | $95,165 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/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 | 16% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
54 Fair offer
Las Vegas, NV → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Cincinnati → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $63,046 | −6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $76,280 | −6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $91,427 | −6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $108,719 | −6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $128,473 | −6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $65,040 | $61,896 (−4.4%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $129,940 | $123,658 (+1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $80,530 | $76,637 (−5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $103,940 | $98,915 (+18.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.