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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Veterans' benefits — pension, VA disability, GI Bill — stretch farther in some cities. Fairly typical for a city this size. We ranked 5 cities in Nevada on cost, state tax burden, and healthcare. Las Vegas leads with index 106 and no state income tax.
#1 Ranked: Las Vegas — cost index 106, rent $1,695/mo, income $70,723
Veteran scoring: cost index 106, no state income tax, healthcare index 110 — preserving earned benefits
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Veterans' benefits — pension, VA disability, GI Bill — stretch farther in some cities. Fairly typical for a city this size. We ranked 5 cities in Nevada on cost, state tax burden, and healthcare. Las Vegas leads with index 106 and no state income tax.
In plain English: a closer look at Las Vegas: the cost index of 106 — for better or worse — breaks down to a Utilities index of 98 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 116 (weakest). Median rent is $1,695/month — 11% below the national median — while household income sits at $70,723, meaning locals spend about 29% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
(Tangentially — this is the kind of city where you can actually build equity on a median salary, which is increasingly rare.)
The way we see it, the same data, viewed through a different lens: State context matters: Nevada's 5 cities average a 111 cost index with $1,817/month median rent and $80,315 household income. And generally speaking, no income tax and Vegas-fueled growth. That's more or less in line with the region. The FAQ section goes deeper on this. Solidly above average.
Real talk: Bottom line: Las Vegas leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers. No gimmicks — just good numbers.
660,929 residents · Nevada
Las Vegas comes in at #1. That's about what we'd expect given the state context. Rent is $1,695 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — a month. Household income is $70,723. The cost of living index is 106. Nothing too surprising there. Surprising? Maybe. But the data's clear.
337,305 residents · Nevada
Look, at $1,772/month for rent and a cost index of 110, Henderson is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. Pretty standard for this type of city. Income is $88,654. There's not much to say about that beyond the obvious (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
284,771 residents · Nevada
At $1,819/month for rent and a cost index of 108, North Las Vegas is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. It lines up with what you'd expect. Income is $76,772. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is.
274,915 residents · Nevada
Frankly, Reno comes in at #4. Rent is $1,830 a month. Household income is $78,448. The cost of living index is 115. It lines up with what you'd expect.
110,323 residents · Nevada
The numbers for Sparks are straightforward: 115 on the cost index, $1,967/month rent, $86,979 income. And as a general rule, you get the picture. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. You get the picture.
Las Vegas ranks #1 in Nevada for this analysis with a cost index of 106 and median income of $70,723.
Las Vegas scores highest for military veterans due to its strong income potential, median rent of $1,695/mo, and competitive median income of $70,723.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Las Vegas (ranked #1) has a cost index of 106 and rent of $1,695/mo, while Sparks (ranked #5) has a cost index of 115 and rent of $1,967/mo — a 9-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Las Vegas is $1,695/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $200 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Las Vegas is $422,842, which is 6.0× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Nevada has a 0% state income tax rate — one of the states with no income tax. Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.23%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.48%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.