City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Baton Rouge, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 15.1% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $115,100 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,773 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.6% moving from Baltimore, MD to Baton Rouge, LA ($121,785 → $106,437), while prices change by −13.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.6% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | Baton Rouge, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 90.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,882 in Baton Rouge | $115,099 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,064/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $48,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Baton Rouge, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Baton Rouge |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 74.2 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 90.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,773/yr.
100 Strong offer
Baton Rouge, LA → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,773/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Baton Rouge, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Baton Rouge, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Baton Rouge, LA | Real change, Baltimore → Baton Rouge |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $61,722 | +0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $74,678 | +0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $89,508 | +0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $106,437 | +0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $125,776 | +0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Baton Rouge, LA | Baton Rouge pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $59,310 | $68,265 (−10.6%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $101,900 | $117,286 (−15.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $73,070 | $84,103 (−1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $81,130 | $93,380 (−6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.