Nevada’s Shrinking Dollar

If you’ve been out and about lately, filling up your gas tank, buying groceries, or dutifully handing over your rent money, you might’ve thought your dollar was just a tad lighter than it used to be. If you remember back to 2014, you might find yourself shaking your head in disbelief as you part with a small fortune for a loaf of bread and a carton of milk.

SmartAsset, that clever financial technology company, has been busy crunching numbers from the Council for Community and Economic Research, the MIT Living Wage Study, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other alphabet institutions. They’ve been trying to figure out how far the good ol’ American dollar stretches these days, particularly in the sunny state of Nevada. They’ve taken into account how the cost of living has risen and how personal income has scrambled to catch up. Spoiler alert: it hasn’t.

So, here’s the rundown. SmartAsset has ranked Nevada’s counties based on “purchasing power” —a fancy way of saying, “Can you still afford to live here without selling your left kidney?”

The little exercise measures how well incomes have kept up with the relentless march of inflation.

So, let’s take a look at the stars of the show— that have somehow managed to keep purchasing power from sinking into the abyss.

Lyon County rolls in at a miraculous 16.62 percent. Now, if that doesn’t make you feel like you’re in the land of milk and honey–then nothing will. Nationally, they’re ranked a whopping 399th. If that doesn’t sound impressive, remember that they’re in the top 400 and something you can hang your hat on.

Just behind Lyon, Storey County has managed a solid 15.06 percent increase in purchasing power. In the grand scheme, they’re 492nd nationally, which might not have you dancing in the streets, but they’re doing better than your average gas station attendant’s paycheck.

In short, the counties are holding their own while the rest of the state—indeed, the nation—seems to be battling the relentless rise of living costs with one hand tied behind its back. It’s a tale of triumph in the face of economic adversity, where, for once, your paycheck might stretch far enough to keep you from living on ramen noodles and coffee alone.

If you’re thinking of a move, Lyon or Storey might be the ticket, or you could always start a petition for your income to catch up with the times—though I wouldn’t hold my breath.