City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Lakeland, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lakeland, FL are 11.4% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $111,400 in Lakeland, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,230 a month in Lakeland, FL versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lakeland, FL and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Lafayette, LA than in Lakeland, FL.
- 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 Lafayette, LA to Lakeland, FL changes real buying power by −10.2%, purely from prices.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- Lakeland, FL: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | Lakeland, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,389 in Lakeland | $89,776 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,230/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $46,140 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Lakeland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 95.9 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 86.9 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Lakeland, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
38 Weak offer
Lakeland, FL → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
100 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 Lafayette, LA to Lakeland, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Lakeland, FL | Real change, Lafayette → Lakeland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Lakeland, FL | Lakeland pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $50,420 | $45,265 (−5.2%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $122,200 | $109,706 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $76,820 | $68,966 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $84,030 | $75,439 (−8.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.