City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Lafayette, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Augusta, GA are 5.4% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $105,400 in Augusta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,114 a month in Augusta, GA versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Augusta, GA and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,953 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Lafayette, 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 Augusta, GA to Lafayette, LA changes real buying power by +5.4%, purely from prices.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Augusta, GA | Lafayette, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 87.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,892 in Lafayette | $105,382 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $898/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $41,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Lafayette, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 58.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 87.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,953/yr.
86 Strong offer
Lafayette, LA → Augusta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,953/yr.
53 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 Augusta, GA to Lafayette, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Lafayette, LA | Real change, Augusta → Lafayette |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $47,770 | $50,341 (−20.1%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $109,010 | $114,877 (−4.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $67,630 | $71,270 (−7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $81,960 | $86,371 (−1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.