City comparison

Lafayette, LA 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 6.2% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $106,200 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 $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in New Orleans, LA and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
Both are in LA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $2,614 a year on $100,000.
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 New Orleans, LA changes real buying power by −5.8%, purely from prices.

LafayetteNew Orleans

Price level (U.S. = 100):Under 9292–9898–102102–108Over 108

Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)

Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations^9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels².

Side by side

	Lafayette, LA	New Orleans, LA
Price level (U.S. = 100)²	87.2	92.6
$100,000 is worth, in the other city²	$106,178 in New Orleans	$94,181 in Lafayette
Typical 1-bedroom rent³	$898/mo	$1,113/mo
Take-home on $100,000^14,15,8	$76,566	$76,566
State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)⁸	$2,614 (LA)	$2,614 (LA)
Rent burden on $100,000	14%	17%
Median pay, all jobs⁴	$41,780	$47,290
Federal locality pay area⁷	Rest of U.S.	Rest of U.S.

Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and New Orleans-Metairie, LA.

What costs more or less

Lafayette, LANew Orleans, LA

Price level (U.S. = 100)	Lafayette	New Orleans
Housing (rent)	58.8	86.0
Goods	93.7	93.7
Utilities	71.2	71.2
Other services	95.7	95.7
Overall	87.2	92.6

BEA Regional Price Parities². Housing covers rents.

Moving with the same $100,000 salary

Lafayette, LA → New Orleans, LA

Same pay buys less

Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.

51 Fair offer

New Orleans, LA → Lafayette, LA

Same pay goes further

Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.

88 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 New Orleans, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.

Grade^5,2	Lafayette, LA	New Orleans, LA	Real change, Lafayette → New Orleans
GS-9 step 1	$61,722	$61,722	−5.8%
GS-11 step 1	$74,678	$74,678	−5.8%
GS-12 step 1	$89,508	$89,508	−5.8%
GS-13 step 1	$106,437	$106,437	−5.8%
GS-14 step 1	$125,776	$125,776	−5.8%

Pay for common jobs

Median annual pay⁴	Lafayette, LA	New Orleans, LA	New Orleans pay in Lafayette dollars
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	$47,770	$60,350	$56,838 (+19.0%)
Software Developers	$109,010	$106,950	$100,727 (−7.6%)
Accountants and Auditors	$67,630	$77,940	$73,405 (+8.5%)
Registered Nurses	$81,960	$81,850	$77,087 (−5.9%)

"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.

Taxes are estimates for a single filer taking the standard deduction; city and county income taxes are not included. See the methodology.