City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 6.4% higher than in Las Vegas, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV would need about $106,400 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,478 in Las Vegas, NV. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 22% in Las Vegas, NV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.5% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Sacramento, CA ($108,719 → $117,984), while prices change by +6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.0% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,441 in Sacramento | $93,949 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
43 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Las Vegas → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $68,419 | +2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $82,780 | +2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $99,218 | +2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $117,984 | +2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $139,422 | +2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $103,390 | $97,133 (+49.3%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $139,640 | $131,190 (+1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $92,110 | $86,536 (+7.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $171,460 | $161,084 (+55.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.