City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 14.4% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $114,400 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,311 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Lafayette, LA to Waterbury, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +14.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.0% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,413 in Waterbury | $87,403 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,311/yr.
38 Weak offer
Waterbury, CT → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,311/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Lafayette, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Lafayette → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $83,030 | $126,810 | $110,836 (+33.5%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $131,290 | $114,751 (+5.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $93,010 | $81,294 (+20.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $101,690 | $88,880 (+8.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.