City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Lafayette, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 21.1% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $121,100 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Lafayette, LA than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.0% moving from Bremerton, WA to Lafayette, LA ($119,630 → $106,437), while prices change by −17.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.7% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Bremerton, WA | Lafayette, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 87.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $82,579 in Lafayette | $121,096 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $898/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $41,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Lafayette, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 58.8 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 87.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
100 Strong offer
Lafayette, LA → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Lafayette, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Lafayette, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Lafayette, LA | Real change, Bremerton → Lafayette |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $61,722 | +7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $74,678 | +7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,508 | +7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,437 | +7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $125,776 | +7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $47,770 | $57,848 (−43.6%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $109,010 | $132,007 (−9.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $67,630 | $81,898 (−7.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $81,960 | $99,251 (−7.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.