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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The income-cost paradox: Henderson pays $88,654 — 10% above the national median — while costing just 110 on the index. Only 36 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 5-city ranking for 2026.
337,305 residents · Nevada
Dive into Henderson's numbers: cost index 110 (2 points below national average), rent $1,772/month, income $88,654, and a home price of $483,159. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 102, while Housing runs 126. With 337,305 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs (that's pre-tax, of course).
110,323 residents · Nevada
What does daily life actually cost in Sparks? Start with the 27% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Utilities (index 106) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 138) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $86,979 and homes at $523,431 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons (your mileage may vary — literally).
274,915 residents · Nevada
Why Reno ranks #3: the numbers tell a clear story. That tracks. At 115 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 3% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,830/month while the median household pulls in $78,448/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 106, though Housing (137) lags behind. Home prices average $559,591 — $92,221 above the national median.
284,771 residents · Nevada
What does daily life actually cost in North Las Vegas? Start with the 28% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Utilities (index 99) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 119) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $76,772 and homes at $404,089 round out a profile that ranks #4 for clear reasons (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
660,929 residents · Nevada
Here's Las Vegas by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 106. Rent: $1,695/month. Income: $70,723/year. Home price: $422,842. Population: 660,929. The strongest category is Utilities at 98; the most expensive is Housing at 116. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,400 per year vs. the national median. That's not something you see often in the data.
#1 Ranked: Henderson — cost index 110, rent $1,772/mo, income $88,654
Henderson: high income, low cost — a rare combo
3 of 5 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The income-cost paradox: Henderson pays $88,654 — 10% above the national median — while costing just 110 on the index. Only 36 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 5-city ranking for 2026.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Henderson (index 110, rent $1,772); Sparks (index 115, rent $1,967); Reno (index 115, rent $1,830). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Here's Henderson by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 110. Rent: $1,772/month. Income: $88,654/year. Home price: $483,159. Population: 337,305. The strongest category is Utilities at 102; the most expensive is Housing at 126. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $1,476 per year vs. the national median. For anyone running the numbers, this is where it clicks.
This looks affordable — until you factor in housing. In Henderson, the housing index sits at 126 — above average and worth factoring in.
Henderson: high income, low cost — a rare combo. Henderson earns above the national median ($88,654 vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 110 vs 112). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 36 of 288 cities share it.
Bottom line: Henderson 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.
Henderson earns above the national median ($88,654 vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 110 vs 112). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 36 of 288 cities share it.
The race is tight: Henderson, Sparks, Reno, North Las Vegas, Las Vegas are all within 4 points of each other. At this level, differences in rent, taxes, or a single category can sway the decision.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Henderson | 0% | 8.23% | 0.48% | $67,315 |
2Sparks | 0% | 8.23% | 0.48% | $67,315 |
3Reno | 0% | 8.23% | 0.48% | $67,315 |
4North Las Vegas | 0% | 8.23% | 0.48% | $67,315 |
5Las Vegas | 0% | 8.23% | 0.48% | $67,315 |
Henderson ranks #1 in Nevada for this analysis with a cost index of 110 and median income of $88,654.
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.
Henderson (ranked #1) has a cost index of 110 and rent of $1,772/mo, while Las Vegas (ranked #5) has a cost index of 106 and rent of $1,695/mo — a 4-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 Henderson is $1,772/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $123 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Henderson is $483,159, which is 5.4× 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.