City comparison

Hagerstown, MD vs New Orleans, LA

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

Key findings

Prices in Hagerstown, MD are 1.7% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $101,700 in Hagerstown, MD to live the same way.
Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in New Orleans, LA versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in New Orleans, LA and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,773 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in New Orleans, LA.
For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.6% moving from Hagerstown, MD to New Orleans, LA ($121,785 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.1% in real buying power.

HagerstownNew Orleans

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

Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)

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

Side by side

	Hagerstown, MD	New Orleans, LA
Price level (U.S. = 100)²	94.2	92.6
$100,000 is worth, in the other city²	$98,329 in New Orleans	$101,700 in Hagerstown
Typical 1-bedroom rent³	$961/mo	$1,113/mo
Take-home on $100,000^14,15,8	$74,794	$76,566
State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)⁸	$4,386 (MD)	$2,614 (LA)
Rent burden on $100,000	15%	17%
Median pay, all jobs⁴	$47,440	$47,290
Federal locality pay area⁷	Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA	Rest of U.S.

Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and New Orleans-Metairie, LA.

What costs more or less

Hagerstown, MDNew Orleans, LA

Price level (U.S. = 100)	Hagerstown	New Orleans
Housing (rent)	75.7	86.0
Goods	96.4	93.7
Utilities	95.7	71.2
Other services	99.5	95.7
Overall	94.2	92.6

BEA Regional Price Parities². Housing covers rents.

Moving with the same $100,000 salary

Hagerstown, MD → New Orleans, LA

Roughly even

Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,773/yr.

74 Strong offer

New Orleans, LA → Hagerstown, MD

Roughly even

Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,773/yr.

64 Fair offer

On the GS pay scale?

Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; New Orleans, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to New Orleans, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.

Grade^5,2	Hagerstown, MD	New Orleans, LA	Real change, Hagerstown → New Orleans
GS-9 step 1	$70,623	$61,722	−11.1%
GS-11 step 1	$85,447	$74,678	−11.1%
GS-12 step 1	$102,415	$89,508	−11.1%
GS-13 step 1	$121,785	$106,437	−11.1%
GS-14 step 1	$143,913	$125,776	−11.1%

Pay for common jobs

Median annual pay⁴	Hagerstown, MD	New Orleans, LA	New Orleans pay in Hagerstown dollars
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	$63,190	$60,350	$61,376 (−2.9%)
Software Developers	$122,830	$106,950	$108,768 (−11.4%)
Accountants and Auditors	$75,250	$77,940	$79,265 (+5.3%)
Registered Nurses	$92,770	$81,850	$83,241 (−10.3%)

"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.