City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Manchester, NH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 21.2% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $121,200 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,552 a month in Manchester, NH versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Manchester, NH and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Lafayette, LA than in Manchester, NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Lafayette, LA to Manchester, NH ($106,437 → $120,548), while prices change by +21.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.5% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | Manchester, NH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 105.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,154 in Manchester | $82,540 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,552/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (NH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $56,530 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Manchester-Nashua, NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 134.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.7 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 133.5 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 103.7 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 105.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Manchester, NH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
38 Weak offer
Manchester, NH → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lafayette, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Manchester, NH is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to Manchester, NH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Manchester, NH | Real change, Lafayette → Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,905 | −6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,579 | −6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $101,375 | −6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,548 | −6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $142,452 | −6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Manchester, NH | Manchester pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $73,380 | $60,568 (+26.8%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $162,090 | $133,789 (+22.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $83,660 | $69,053 (+2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $98,600 | $81,384 (−0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.