City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, ME are 16.8% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $116,800 in Portland, ME to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,041 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Lafayette, LA to Portland, ME ($106,437 → $120,548), while prices change by +16.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.0% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,798 in Portland | $85,618 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $56,960 |
| 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 Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Portland, ME
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.4%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$3,041/yr.
34 Weak offer
Portland, ME → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$3,041/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lafayette, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Portland, ME | Real change, Lafayette → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,905 | −3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,579 | −3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $101,375 | −3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,548 | −3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $142,452 | −3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $76,770 | $65,729 (+37.6%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $128,710 | $110,199 (+1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $79,790 | $68,315 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $88,470 | $75,746 (−7.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.