City comparison
Memphis, TN vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 9.6% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $109,600 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 $1,154 in Memphis, TN. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 17% in Memphis, TN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TN and $0 in NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.4% moving from Memphis, TN to Reno, NV ($106,437 → $106,855), while prices change by +9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.4% in real buying power.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (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
| Memphis, TN | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,585 in Reno | $91,254 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
41 Weak offer
Reno, NV → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Memphis, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Memphis, TN to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | Reno, NV | Real change, Memphis → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,965 | −8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,972 | −8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,859 | −8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,855 | −8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,271 | −8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,510 | $62,430 | $56,970 (−7.4%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $125,710 | $114,715 (−8.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $82,370 | $75,166 (−2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $107,520 | $98,116 (+20.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.