City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 4.3% higher than in Las Vegas, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV would need about $104,300 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,478 in Las Vegas, NV. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 22% in Las Vegas, NV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.4% moving from Las Vegas, NV to New Haven, CT ($108,719 → $125,431), while prices change by +4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.6% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,335 in New Haven | $95,845 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
55 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
82 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | New Haven, CT | Real change, Las Vegas → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $72,737 | +10.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $88,005 | +10.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $105,481 | +10.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $125,431 | +10.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $148,222 | +10.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $103,670 | $136,590 | $130,915 (+26.3%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $133,040 | $127,513 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $94,960 | $91,015 (+13.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $104,490 | $100,149 (−3.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.