City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Louisville, KY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 22.0% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $122,000 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,688 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Louisville, KY ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −18.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.7% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Los Angeles, CA | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $81,956 in Louisville | $122,017 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,047/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,798 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,382 (KY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $48,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 75.0 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 96.8 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,688/yr.
100 Strong offer
Louisville, KY → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.0%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$1,688/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Louisville, KY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Louisville, KY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Louisville, KY | Real change, Los Angeles → Louisville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | +4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | +4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | +4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | +4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | +4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Louisville, KY | Louisville pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $61,610 | $75,175 (−26.2%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $110,270 | $134,548 (−16.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $76,320 | $93,123 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $84,850 | $103,531 (−23.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.