City comparison
Huntington, WV vs New Orleans, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Orleans, LA are 4.7% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $104,700 in New Orleans, LA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in New Orleans, LA versus $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in New Orleans, LA and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,271 a year higher in Huntington, WV than in New Orleans, 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 Huntington, WV to New Orleans, LA changes real buying power by −4.5%, purely from prices.
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (much cheaper)
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntington, WV | New Orleans, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.4 | 92.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,722 in New Orleans | $95,491 in Huntington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $853/mo | $1,113/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,295 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,885 (WV) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,600 | $47,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area and New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH and New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntington | New Orleans |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 51.3 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 88.4 | 92.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntington, WV → New Orleans, LA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,271/yr.
55 Fair offer
New Orleans, LA → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,271/yr.
84 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 Huntington, WV to New Orleans, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntington, WV | New Orleans, LA | Real change, Huntington → New Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntington, WV | New Orleans, LA | New Orleans pay in Huntington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,450 | $60,350 | $57,629 (+0.3%) |
| Software Developers | $110,780 | $106,950 | $102,128 (−7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,840 | $77,940 | $74,426 (+5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $81,850 | $78,160 (−3.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.