Moving from Philadelphia to Little Rock
You'd keep $362 more a month in Little Rock
+$4,344 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Philadelphia leftover
$2,423
a month after tax and rent
Little Rock leftover
$2,785
+$362 vs Philadelphia
| Per month | Philadelphia | Little Rock | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,125 | $7,227 | −$898 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,264 | $1,708 | −$556 |
| Take-home pay | $5,861 | $5,519 | −$342 |
| Rent | $1,541 | $899 | −$642 |
| Getting around | $418 | $540 | +$122 |
| Groceries | $408 | $357 | −$51 |
| Healthcare | $459 | $402 | −$57 |
| Utilities | $255 | $223 | −$32 |
| Everything else | $357 | $313 | −$44 |
| Left over | $2,423 | $2,785 | +$362 |
To break even in Little Rock, you'd need to earn
$80,000
Household gross, versus $97,500 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Philadelphia does now.
The tax difference alone
+$3,480
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 27.9% in Philadelphia, 23.6% in Little Rock.
More about Little Rock
Philadelphia, PA in full
East Coast density at half of Boston's rent, minus a 3.75% city wage tax.
Little Rock, AR in full
State income tax topping out at 3.9%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,070 and 208 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Little Rock on Little Rock wages.
Little Rock → Philadelphia →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Little Rock than Philadelphia?
A one-bedroom is about $1,541 in Philadelphia versus $899 in Little Rock. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $362 a month higher in Little Rock. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Little Rock have state income tax?
Little Rock is in Arkansas, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Philadelphia to Little Rock?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Arkansas tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.