City comparison

Baton Rouge, LA vs Peoria, IL

What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.

Key findings

Overall prices in Baton Rouge, LA (90.8) and Peoria, IL (91.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA goes as far as $100,500 in Peoria, IL.
Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,064 a month in Baton Rouge, LA versus $818 in Peoria, IL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Baton Rouge, LA and 13% in Peoria, IL.
On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,191 a year higher in Peoria, IL than in Baton Rouge, 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 Baton Rouge, LA to Peoria, IL changes real buying power by −0.5%, purely from prices.

Baton RougePeoria

Price level (U.S. = 100):Under 9292–9898–102102–108Over 108

Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
Peoria, IL: price level 91.2 (much cheaper)

Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations^9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels².

Side by side

	Baton Rouge, LA	Peoria, IL
Price level (U.S. = 100)²	90.8	91.2
$100,000 is worth, in the other city²	$100,497 in Peoria	$99,506 in Baton Rouge
Typical 1-bedroom rent³	$1,064/mo	$818/mo
Take-home on $100,000^14,15,8	$76,566	$74,375
State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)⁸	$2,614 (LA)	$4,805 (IL)
Rent burden on $100,000	17%	13%
Median pay, all jobs⁴	$48,710	$49,590
Federal locality pay area⁷	Rest of U.S.	Rest of U.S.

Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Peoria, IL MSA. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Peoria, IL.

What costs more or less

Baton Rouge, LAPeoria, IL

Price level (U.S. = 100)	Baton Rouge	Peoria
Housing (rent)	74.2	63.8
Goods	93.7	93.6
Utilities	71.2	90.5
Other services	95.7	99.6
Overall	90.8	91.2

BEA Regional Price Parities². Housing covers rents.

Moving with the same $100,000 salary

Baton Rouge, LA → Peoria, IL

Roughly even

Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$2,191/yr.

67 Fair offer

Peoria, IL → Baton Rouge, LA

Roughly even

Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,191/yr.

70 Strong 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 Baton Rouge, LA to Peoria, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.

Grade^5,2	Baton Rouge, LA	Peoria, IL	Real change, Baton Rouge → Peoria
GS-9 step 1	$61,722	$61,722	−0.5%
GS-11 step 1	$74,678	$74,678	−0.5%
GS-12 step 1	$89,508	$89,508	−0.5%
GS-13 step 1	$106,437	$106,437	−0.5%
GS-14 step 1	$125,776	$125,776	−0.5%

Pay for common jobs

Median annual pay⁴	Baton Rouge, LA	Peoria, IL	Peoria pay in Baton Rouge dollars
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	$59,310	$57,440	$57,156 (−3.6%)
Software Developers	$101,900	$130,590	$129,944 (+27.5%)
Accountants and Auditors	$73,070	$79,540	$79,147 (+8.3%)
Registered Nurses	$81,130	$81,010	$80,610 (−0.6%)

"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.

Taxes are estimates for a single filer taking the standard deduction; city and county income taxes are not included. See the methodology.