City comparison
Louisville, KY vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 8.5% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $108,500 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,382 a year higher in Louisville, KY than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.4% moving from Louisville, KY to Reno, NV ($106,437 → $106,855), while prices change by +8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.5% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Louisville, KY | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,531 in Reno | $92,140 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,382/yr.
44 Weak offer
Reno, NV → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,382/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Louisville, KY is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Louisville, KY to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Reno, NV | Real change, Louisville → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,965 | −7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,972 | −7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,859 | −7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,855 | −7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,271 | −7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $62,430 | $57,523 (−6.6%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $125,710 | $115,829 (+5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $82,370 | $75,895 (−0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $107,520 | $99,069 (+16.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.