City comparison
Austin, TX vs Baton Rouge, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 8.0% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $108,000 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Baton Rouge, LA than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.7% moving from Austin, TX to Baton Rouge, LA ($109,428 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Baton Rouge, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 90.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,570 in Baton Rouge | $108,026 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,064/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $48,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Baton Rouge, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Baton Rouge |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 74.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 90.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
94 Strong offer
Baton Rouge, LA → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Baton Rouge, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Baton Rouge, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Baton Rouge, LA | Real change, Austin → Baton Rouge |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $61,722 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $74,678 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $89,508 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $106,437 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $125,776 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Baton Rouge, LA | Baton Rouge pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $59,310 | $64,070 (+4.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $101,900 | $110,078 (−17.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $73,070 | $78,935 (−5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $81,130 | $87,641 (−10.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.