City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Louisville, KY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Louisville, KY are 2.5% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $102,500 in Louisville, KY to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,064 a month in Baton Rouge, LA and $1,047 in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $769 a year higher in Louisville, KY than in Baton Rouge, 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 Baton Rouge, LA to Louisville, KY changes real buying power by −2.5%, purely from prices.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Baton Rouge, LA | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,527 in Louisville | $97,535 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,047/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,798 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,382 (KY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $48,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 75.0 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 96.8 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Louisville, KY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$769/yr.
61 Fair offer
Louisville, KY → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$769/yr.
77 Strong 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 Baton Rouge, LA to Louisville, KY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Louisville, KY | Real change, Baton Rouge → Louisville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Louisville, KY | Louisville pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $61,610 | $60,091 (+1.3%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $110,270 | $107,552 (+5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $76,320 | $74,439 (+1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $84,850 | $82,759 (+2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.