City comparison
Houston, TX 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 1.6% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $101,600 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 $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 20% in Houston, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Houston, TX to Las Vegas, NV ($122,749 → $108,719), while prices change by +1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.8% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- 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
| Houston, TX | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,608 in Las Vegas | $98,417 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Las Vegas, NV
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
64 Fair offer
Las Vegas, NV → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Houston → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $63,046 | −12.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $76,280 | −12.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $91,427 | −12.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $108,719 | −12.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $128,473 | −12.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $65,040 | $64,011 (−0.8%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $129,940 | $127,884 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $80,530 | $79,256 (−6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $103,940 | $102,295 (+2.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.