City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs Peoria, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Orleans, LA are 1.5% higher than in Peoria, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Peoria, IL would need about $101,500 in New Orleans, LA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in New Orleans, LA versus $818 in Peoria, IL. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in New Orleans, LA and 13% in Peoria, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,191 a year higher in Peoria, IL than in New Orleans, 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 New Orleans, LA to Peoria, IL changes real buying power by +1.5%, purely from prices.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
- Peoria, IL: price level 91.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Orleans, LA | Peoria, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 91.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,525 in Peoria | $101,497 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $818/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $49,590 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Peoria, IL MSA. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Peoria, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Peoria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 63.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 90.5 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 91.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Peoria, IL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$2,191/yr.
73 Strong offer
Peoria, IL → New Orleans, LA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,191/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
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 New Orleans, LA to Peoria, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Peoria, IL | Real change, New Orleans → Peoria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Peoria, IL | Peoria pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $57,440 | $58,300 (−3.4%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $130,590 | $132,545 (+23.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $79,540 | $80,731 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $81,010 | $82,223 (+0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.