City comparison
Asheville, NC vs New Orleans, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Asheville, NC are 4.2% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $104,200 in Asheville, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,429 a month in Asheville, NC versus $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Asheville, NC and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $868 a year higher in Asheville, NC than in New Orleans, LA.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Asheville, NC to New Orleans, LA changes real buying power by +4.2%, purely from prices.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (cheaper)
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Asheville, NC | New Orleans, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 92.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,949 in New Orleans | $104,222 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $1,113/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,870 | $47,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | New Orleans |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 92.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$868/yr.
82 Strong offer
New Orleans, LA → Asheville, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$868/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Asheville, NC to New Orleans, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | New Orleans, LA | Real change, Asheville → New Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | New Orleans, LA | New Orleans pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $60,350 | $62,898 (+25.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $106,950 | $111,465 (−17.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $77,940 | $81,230 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $81,850 | $85,305 (+4.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.