City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Lafayette, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 18.2% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $118,200 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Lafayette, LA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Lafayette, LA ($115,711 → $106,437), while prices change by −15.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.7% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Dallas, TX | Lafayette, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 87.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $84,595 in Lafayette | $118,210 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $898/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $41,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Lafayette, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 58.8 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 87.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
100 Strong offer
Lafayette, LA → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Lafayette, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Lafayette, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Lafayette, LA | Real change, Dallas → Lafayette |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $61,722 | +8.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $74,678 | +8.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $89,508 | +8.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $106,437 | +8.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $125,776 | +8.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $47,770 | $56,469 (−13.2%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $109,010 | $128,861 (−3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $67,630 | $79,946 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $81,960 | $96,885 (−4.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.