City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Raleigh, NC are 6.0% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $106,000 in Raleigh, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $868 a year higher in Raleigh, NC than in New Orleans, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from New Orleans, LA to Raleigh, NC ($106,437 → $111,147), while prices change by +6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Orleans, LA | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,005 in Raleigh | $94,336 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Raleigh, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$868/yr.
51 Fair offer
Raleigh, NC → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$868/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Orleans, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from New Orleans, LA to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Raleigh, NC | Real change, New Orleans → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,453 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,983 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,468 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,147 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,342 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $60,170 | $56,762 (−5.9%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $132,770 | $125,249 (+17.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $81,950 | $77,308 (−0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $84,830 | $80,025 (−2.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.