City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Columbus, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Columbus, OH are 5.2% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $105,200 in Columbus, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,194 a month in Columbus, OH versus $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Columbus, OH and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $646 a year higher in Baton Rouge, LA than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.3% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Columbus, OH ($106,437 → $111,065), while prices change by +5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.8% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Baton Rouge, LA | Columbus, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,165 in Columbus | $95,088 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,194/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $51,340 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Columbus, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 87.9 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Columbus, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$646/yr.
53 Fair offer
Columbus, OH → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$646/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Columbus, OH is in Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Columbus, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Columbus, OH | Real change, Baton Rouge → Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,406 | −0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,926 | −0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,400 | −0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,065 | −0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,245 | −0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Columbus, OH | Columbus pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $78,150 | $74,312 (+25.3%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $122,340 | $116,331 (+14.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $81,700 | $77,687 (+6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $83,900 | $79,779 (−1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.