Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
This is one of the closest races in our database: the top 5 cities are separated by just 1 points on the cost index. North Las Vegas, Henderson, Las Vegas, Sparks, Reno are all within striking distance. That alone makes it worth considering. At this margin, secondary factors — taxes, rent trends, ca…
#1 Ranked: North Las Vegas — cost index 106, rent $1,819/mo, income $76,772
Top 5 separated by only 1 points
4 of 5 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1North Las Vegas | 0% | 8.23% | 0.48% | $58,956 |
2Henderson | 0% | 8.23% | 0.48% | $58,956 |
3Las Vegas | 0% | 8.23% | 0.48% | $58,956 |
4Sparks | 0% | 8.23% | 0.48% | $58,956 |
5Reno | 0% | 8.23% | 0.48% | $58,956 |
This is one of the closest races in our database: the top 5 cities are separated by just 1 points on the cost index. North Las Vegas, Henderson, Las Vegas, Sparks, Reno are all within striking distance. That alone makes it worth considering. At this margin, secondary factors — taxes, rent trends, category-specific costs — become the tiebreakers. Here's the full breakdown (that's pre-tax, of course).
At $1,819/month for rent and a cost index of 106, North Las Vegas is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. Income is $76,772. That tracks (your mileage may vary — literally).
The 3.5× rule is a conservative benchmark: lenders often approve up to 4-5× income, but 3.5× keeps monthly payments safely under 28% of gross income at typical rates. On $60K, that means targeting homes under $210,000. North Las Vegas offers a median home at $404,089 — a 6.7× ratio with room to spare.
The gap here is wider than it has any right to be: Top 5 separated by only 1 points. No major red flags in that number. The race is tight: North Las Vegas, Henderson, Las Vegas, Sparks, Reno are all within 1 points of each other. At this level, differences in rent, taxes, or a single category can sway the decision.
In plain English: Balance that against the cost side: State context matters: Nevada's 5 cities average a 106 cost index with $1,817/month median rent and $80,315 household income. No income tax and Vegas-fueled growth. The salary data below puts this in sharper focus (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours. Worth a deeper look.
284,771 residents · Nevada
Here's North Las Vegas by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 106. Rent: $1,819/month — we had to double-check this one — . Income: $76,772/year. Home price: $404,089. Population: 284,771. The strongest category is Healthcare at 101; the most expensive is Housing at 106. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $912 per year vs. the national median. This is where the math gets real for actual people.
337,305 residents · Nevada
A closer look at Henderson: the cost index of 103 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 101 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 103 (weakest). Median rent is $1,772/month — 6% below the national median — while household income sits at $88,654, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
660,929 residents · Nevada
Why Las Vegas ranks #3: the numbers tell a clear story. At 99 on the cost index, residents save roughly 12% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,695/month while the median household pulls in $70,723/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 99, though Healthcare (100) lags behind. Home prices average $422,842 — $44,528 below the national median.
110,323 residents · Nevada
The #4 spot goes to Sparks, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,967/month — for better or worse — — costing renters $864 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 103, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 115. A 27% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
274,915 residents · Nevada
Here's Reno by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 107. Rent: $1,830/month. Income: $78,448/year. Home price: $559,591. Population: 274,915. The strongest category is Healthcare at 101; the most expensive is Housing at 107. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $780 per year vs. the national median. At this level, the city practically pays for your move.
We divide median home price by median household income for each city in Nevada. A ratio of 3× means a home costs 3 years of gross income — generally considered affordable. Ratios above 5× signal a stretched market. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
North Las Vegas ranks #1 in Nevada for this analysis with a cost index of 106 and median income of $76,772.
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.
North Las Vegas (ranked #1) has a cost index of 106 and rent of $1,819/mo, while Reno (ranked #5) has a cost index of 107 and rent of $1,830/mo — a 1-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 North Las Vegas is $1,819/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $76 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in North Las Vegas is $404,089, which is 5.3× 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.