City comparison
Shreveport, LA vs Tallahassee, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tallahassee, FL are 10.8% higher than in Shreveport, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Shreveport, LA would need about $110,800 in Tallahassee, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,204 a month in Tallahassee, FL versus $982 in Shreveport, LA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Tallahassee, FL and 15% in Shreveport, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Shreveport, LA than in Tallahassee, FL.
- 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 Shreveport, LA to Tallahassee, FL changes real buying power by −9.7%, purely from prices.
- Shreveport, LA: price level 84.8 (much cheaper)
- Tallahassee, FL: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Shreveport, LA | Tallahassee, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 84.8 | 93.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,798 in Tallahassee | $90,254 in Shreveport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $982/mo | $1,204/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,820 | $46,520 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA MSA and Tallahassee, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA and Tallahassee, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Shreveport | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 52.3 | 78.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 72.6 | 87.5 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 84.8 | 93.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Shreveport, LA → Tallahassee, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
38 Weak offer
Tallahassee, FL → Shreveport, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
100 Strong 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 Shreveport, LA to Tallahassee, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Shreveport, LA | Tallahassee, FL | Real change, Shreveport → Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −9.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −9.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −9.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −9.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −9.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Shreveport, LA | Tallahassee, FL | Tallahassee pay in Shreveport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,850 | $55,020 | $49,658 (−19.7%) |
| Software Developers | $96,680 | $121,800 | $109,930 (+13.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,420 | $61,840 | $55,813 (−20.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,080 | $79,430 | $71,689 (−10.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.