City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Lafayette, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 20.9% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $120,900 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,243 a month in Anchorage, AK versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Anchorage, AK and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Lafayette, LA than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.6% moving from Anchorage, AK to Lafayette, LA ($120,348 → $106,437), while prices change by −17.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.9% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Lafayette, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 87.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $82,725 in Lafayette | $120,882 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $898/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $41,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Lafayette, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 58.8 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 87.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
100 Strong offer
Lafayette, LA → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Lafayette, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Lafayette, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Lafayette, LA | Real change, Anchorage → Lafayette |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $61,722 | +6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $74,678 | +6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $89,508 | +6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $106,437 | +6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $125,776 | +6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $47,770 | $57,745 (−27.2%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $109,010 | $131,773 (+26.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $67,630 | $81,753 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $81,960 | $99,075 (−14.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.