City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Waco, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 8.3% higher than in Waco, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Waco, TX would need about $108,300 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 $996 in Waco, TX. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 15% in Waco, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in NV and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.1% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Waco, TX ($108,719 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.0% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Waco, TX: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Waco, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 92.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,351 in Waco | $108,282 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $996/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $46,020 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Waco, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Waco, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Waco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 81.0 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 92.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Waco, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
95 Strong offer
Waco, TX → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
45 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Waco, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Waco, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Waco, TX | Real change, Las Vegas → Waco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $61,722 | +6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $74,678 | +6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $89,508 | +6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $106,437 | +6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $125,776 | +6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Waco, TX | Waco pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $59,100 | $63,995 (−1.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $123,080 | $133,273 (+2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $76,140 | $82,446 (+2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $92,890 | $100,583 (−3.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.