City comparison
Harrisburg, PA vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 2.4% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $102,400 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 $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Harrisburg, PA than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.6% moving from Harrisburg, PA to Reno, NV ($108,592 → $106,855), while prices change by +2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.9% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
- 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
| Harrisburg, PA | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,396 in Reno | $97,660 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
61 Fair offer
Reno, NV → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | Reno, NV | Real change, Harrisburg → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,965 | −3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,972 | −3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,859 | −3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,855 | −3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $126,271 | −3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $62,430 | $60,969 (−21.0%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $125,710 | $122,768 (+12.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $82,370 | $80,442 (+5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $107,520 | $105,004 (+8.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.