City comparison
Killeen, TX 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 1.6% higher than in Killeen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Killeen, TX would need about $101,600 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 $990 in Killeen, TX. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in New Orleans, LA and 15% in Killeen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in New Orleans, LA than in Killeen, TX.
- 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 Killeen, TX to New Orleans, LA changes real buying power by −1.6%, purely from prices.
- Killeen, TX: price level 91.1 (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
| Killeen, TX | New Orleans, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.1 | 92.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,608 in New Orleans | $98,418 in Killeen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $990/mo | $1,113/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 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,660 | $47,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Killeen-Temple, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Killeen-Temple, TX and New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Killeen | New Orleans |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 91.1 | 92.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Killeen, TX → New Orleans, LA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
64 Fair offer
New Orleans, LA → Killeen, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
74 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 Killeen, TX to New Orleans, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Killeen, TX | New Orleans, LA | Real change, Killeen → New Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Killeen, TX | New Orleans, LA | New Orleans pay in Killeen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,120 | $60,350 | $59,395 (−5.9%) |
| Software Developers | $123,320 | $106,950 | $105,258 (−14.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,270 | $77,940 | $76,707 (+4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $93,440 | $81,850 | $80,555 (−13.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.