City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 9.0% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $109,000 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $995 a month in St. Louis, MO versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in St. Louis, MO and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,149 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Lafayette, LA to St. Louis, MO ($106,437 → $109,137), while prices change by +9.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,035 in St. Louis | $91,714 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,149/yr.
43 Weak offer
St. Louis, MO → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,149/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lafayette, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Lafayette → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,288 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,573 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,779 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,137 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,967 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $60,650 | $55,625 (+16.4%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $129,030 | $118,339 (+8.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $78,880 | $72,344 (+7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $83,180 | $76,288 (−6.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.