City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Orleans, LA are 6.0% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $106,000 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 $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in New Orleans, LA and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $646 a year higher in New Orleans, LA than in Youngstown, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from New Orleans, LA to Youngstown, OH ($106,437 → $111,138), while prices change by −5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.6% in real buying power.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (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 | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,381 in Youngstown | $105,953 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$646/yr.
87 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → New Orleans, LA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$646/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Orleans, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Orleans, LA to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Youngstown, OH | Real change, New Orleans → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,448 | +10.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,977 | +10.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,461 | +10.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,138 | +10.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,331 | +10.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $72,560 | $76,880 (+27.4%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $107,990 | $114,419 (+7.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $73,080 | $77,431 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $78,680 | $83,364 (+1.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.