City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Lafayette, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cleveland, OH are 7.7% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $107,700 in Cleveland, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,058 a month in Cleveland, OH versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Cleveland, OH and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $646 a year higher in Lafayette, LA than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Cleveland, OH to Lafayette, LA ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.1% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cleveland, OH | Lafayette, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 87.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,852 in Lafayette | $107,699 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $898/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $41,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Lafayette, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 58.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 87.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$646/yr.
93 Strong offer
Lafayette, LA → Cleveland, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$646/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Lafayette, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Lafayette, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Lafayette, LA | Real change, Cleveland → Lafayette |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | +3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | +3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | +3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | +3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | +3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $47,770 | $51,448 (−32.7%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $109,010 | $117,402 (+5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $67,630 | $72,837 (−9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $81,960 | $88,270 (+5.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.