Head-to-head
Arizona vs Nevada
Arizona and Nevada are less than one index point apart on the 2024 all-items measure (100.677 vs 99.979) and have identical two-bedroom gross-rent medians of $1,541; what separates them is how each reaches that total and how each taxes residents.
Updated
| Measure | Arizona | Nevada | First − second |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-items price level | 100.677 | 99.979 | +0.698 points |
| Rent price level | 106.804 | 114.135 | −7.331 points |
| Home value | $394,500±$1,474 | $435,400±$1,611 | −$40,900 |
| Two-bedroom gross rent | $1,541±$12 | $1,541±$15 | Same |
| Household income | $79,964±$407 | $78,260±$596 | +$1,704 |
| Real estate taxes paid | $1,879±$10 | $2,027±$23 | −$148 |
$4,000 of monthly spending in Arizona scales to $3,972 in Nevada at the 2024 all-items price ratio.
BEA 2024 and ACS 2020–2024; ± marks the Census 90% margin. How to read a gap
Same rent, different routes to the same price level
The headline ratio says little on its own, so read the category rows. Nevada is higher on rents, at 114.135 against Arizona's 106.804, a gap of 7.331 points. Arizona is higher on other services, 102.808 against 98.744, a gap of 4.064 points. Goods and utilities sit within two points of each other. The two states reach similar totals by opposite routes, which means a household's own spending mix decides which one is cheaper for it.
Equal rent medians do not mean equal rent burdens. Nevada renters spend 33.1% of income on gross rent, the third-highest share in the country, against 30.8% in Arizona. Owners pay more in Nevada as well: the median home value is $435,400 against $394,500, a $40,900 difference, and the median real estate tax $2,027 against $1,879.
The tax systems are the real fork in the road. Nevada's constitution prohibits a tax on wages or personal income, while Arizona's individual income tax supplied 20.6% of its fiscal 2025 state collections, $720 per resident. Both lean on sales tax, 50.7% of collections in Arizona and 52.4% in Nevada, and Nevada also collects a state property tax worth 13.8% of its revenue. Overall, Nevada's state government collected $4,424 per resident against Arizona's $3,494.
Real per capita personal income is higher in Nevada, $56,503 against $52,890, after adjusting for each state's prices.
Because the rent medians match, the lease decides. Compare utility responsibility and the proposed dwelling size before reading anything into the two-bedroom figures; a lease that leaves cooling costs to the tenant changes the monthly total more than the statewide gap does.
Price levels by category
| Measure | Arizona | Nevada | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 100.677 | 99.979 | +0.698 |
| Goods | 95.361 | 96.271 | −0.910 |
| Housing (rents) | 106.804 | 114.135 | −7.331 |
| Utilities | 92.317 | 90.510 | +1.807 |
| Other services | 102.808 | 98.744 | +4.064 |
| Real income per person (2017 $) | $52,890 | $56,503 | −$3,613 |
Two state tax mixes, FY2025
Arizona: $26.64 billion, $3,494 per resident. Nevada: $14.52 billion, $4,424 per resident.
| Tax | AZ share | NV share | AZ per resident | NV per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual income | 20.6% | not levied | $720 | — |
| General sales | 50.7% | 52.4% | $1,772 | $2,320 |
| Property | 5.4% | 13.8% | $188 | $610 |
| Motor fuel | 3.5% | 2.8% | $123 | $122 |
| Other selective sales | 10.5% | 18.7% | $365 | $829 |
| Corporate income | 6.6% | not levied | $230 | — |
| Licenses | 2.7% | 5.1% | $94 | $226 |
| Severance | 0.1% | 0.8% | $3 | $34 |
| Other taxes | 0.0% | 6.4% | $0 | $284 |
Taxes on wages and purchases
| Tax | Arizona | Nevada |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax | Not summarised on this site; see the Arizona Department of Revenue | no tax on wages or personal income |
| State sales tax | Not summarised on this site; see the Arizona Department of Revenue | 6.85% base rate plus county taxes |
Reviewed by the State Cost Compare Editorial Team · Review policy · Report a correction