City comparison
Hagerstown, MD 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 6.4% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $106,400 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.7% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Las Vegas, NV ($121,785 → $108,719), while prices change by +6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −16.1% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,418 in Las Vegas | $93,969 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
50 Fair offer
Las Vegas, NV → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Hagerstown → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $63,046 | −16.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $76,280 | −16.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $91,427 | −16.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $108,719 | −16.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $128,473 | −16.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $65,040 | $61,117 (−3.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $129,940 | $122,103 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $80,530 | $75,673 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $103,940 | $97,671 (+5.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.