City comparison
Columbus, OH vs Lafayette, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Columbus, OH are 9.5% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $109,500 in Columbus, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,194 a month in Columbus, OH versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Columbus, OH and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $646 a year higher in Lafayette, LA than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Columbus, OH to Lafayette, LA ($111,065 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.9% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (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
| Columbus, OH | Lafayette, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 87.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,348 in Lafayette | $109,471 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/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 | 19% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $41,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Lafayette, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 58.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 87.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$646/yr.
98 Strong offer
Lafayette, LA → Columbus, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$646/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Lafayette, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Lafayette, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Lafayette, LA | Real change, Columbus → Lafayette |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $61,722 | +4.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $74,678 | +4.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $89,508 | +4.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $106,437 | +4.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $125,776 | +4.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $47,770 | $52,295 (−33.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $109,010 | $119,335 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $67,630 | $74,036 (−9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $81,960 | $89,723 (+6.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.