City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 19.4% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $119,400 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,356 a month in Modesto, CA versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Modesto, CA and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,457 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Lafayette, LA to Modesto, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +19.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.7% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,378 in Modesto | $83,768 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,356/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$2,457/yr.
38 Weak offer
Modesto, CA → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$2,457/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lafayette, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Modesto, CA | Real change, Lafayette → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $101,640 | $85,142 (+78.2%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $119,770 | $100,329 (−8.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $83,560 | $69,996 (+3.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $132,590 | $111,068 (+35.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.