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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 103 on the index. Only 40 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 5-city ranking for 2026.
#1 Ranked: Henderson — cost index 103, rent $1,772/mo, income $88,654
Henderson: high income, low cost — a rare combo
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
The income-cost paradox: Henderson pays $88,654 — 10% above the national median — while costing just 103 on the index. Only 40 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 5-city ranking for 2026.
Here's Henderson by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 103. Rent: $1,772/month. Income: $88,654/year. Home price: $483,159. Population: 337,305. The strongest category is Healthcare at 101; the most expensive is Housing at 103. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $1,476 per year vs. the national median. That's the kind of stat homebuyers should print out for their mortgage meetings.
Here's the asterisk: Across Nevada, the average cost of living index is 106 — 5 points below the national median. Known for no income tax and Vegas-fueled growth, the state offers 5 tracked cities with median rents averaging $1,817/month. That's $78 less than the national average of $1,895. For anyone relocating from a high-cost market, this will feel like a raise.
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 103 vs 111). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 40 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.
337,305 residents · Nevada
Henderson earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 103 cost index sits 8 points below the national baseline, and the $88,654 median income means purchasing power here is genuinely above average. Homes list at $483,159 — $15,789 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 101, while Housing trails at 103.
110,323 residents · Nevada
The #2 spot goes to Sparks, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,967/month — 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.
274,915 residents · Nevada
What does daily life actually cost in Reno? Start with the 28% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Healthcare (index 101) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 107) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $78,448 and homes at $559,591 round out a profile that ranks #3 for clear reasons.
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, Healthcare (index 101) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 106) 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.
660,929 residents · Nevada
Las Vegas earns its position at #5 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 99 cost index sits 12 points below the national baseline, and the $70,723 — we had to double-check this one — median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $422,842 — $44,528 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 99, while Healthcare trails at 100.
Cities are ranked by median household income using Census ACS data. Income alone doesn't tell the full story — we also show cost of living index so you can gauge real purchasing power in each city across Nevada. 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.
Henderson ranks #1 in Nevada for this analysis with a cost index of 103 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 103 and rent of $1,772/mo, while Las Vegas (ranked #5) has a cost index of 99 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.