City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salem, OR are 3.4% higher than in Las Vegas, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV would need about $103,400 in Salem, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Las Vegas, NV versus $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $7,920 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.5% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Salem, OR ($108,719 → $114,684), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.0% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,427 in Salem | $96,687 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Salem, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$7,920/yr.
58 Fair offer
Salem, OR → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$7,920/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Salem, OR | Real change, Las Vegas → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $66,505 | +2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $80,465 | +2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $96,443 | +2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $114,684 | +2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $135,522 | +2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $74,810 | $72,331 (+11.2%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $131,620 | $127,259 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $87,480 | $84,582 (+5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $131,750 | $127,385 (+22.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.