City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Madison, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Madison, WI are 11.6% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $111,600 in Madison, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,482 a month in Madison, WI versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Madison, WI and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,306 a year higher in Madison, WI than in Lafayette, 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 Lafayette, LA to Madison, WI changes real buying power by −10.4%, purely from prices.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | Madison, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,556 in Madison | $89,641 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,482/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $58,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Madison, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 99.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 89.8 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Madison, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,306/yr.
38 Weak offer
Madison, WI → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,306/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 Madison, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Madison, WI | Real change, Lafayette → Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −10.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −10.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −10.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −10.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −10.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Madison, WI | Madison pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $63,690 | $57,092 (+19.5%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $130,630 | $117,098 (+7.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $81,130 | $72,726 (+7.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $101,190 | $90,708 (+10.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.