City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Scranton, PA are 7.3% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $107,300 in Scranton, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,028 a month in Scranton, PA versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Scranton, PA and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $456 a year higher in Scranton, PA 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 Scranton, PA changes real buying power by −6.8%, purely from prices.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,278 in Scranton | $93,216 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Scranton, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$456/yr.
48 Fair offer
Scranton, PA → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$456/yr.
91 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
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 Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Scranton, PA | Real change, Lafayette → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $83,030 | $100,210 | $93,412 (+12.5%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $119,960 | $111,822 (+2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $70,480 | $65,699 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $82,650 | $77,043 (−6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.