City comparison
College Station, TX vs New Orleans, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Orleans, LA are 1.8% higher than in College Station, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in College Station, TX would need about $101,800 in New Orleans, LA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,082 a month in College Station, TX and $1,113 in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in New Orleans, LA than in College Station, TX.
- 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 College Station, TX to New Orleans, LA changes real buying power by −1.8%, purely from prices.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (much cheaper)
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| College Station, TX | New Orleans, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 92.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,810 in New Orleans | $98,222 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/mo | $1,113/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 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $47,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | New Orleans |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 92.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → New Orleans, LA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
63 Fair offer
New Orleans, LA → College Station, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
74 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 College Station, TX to New Orleans, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | New Orleans, LA | Real change, College Station → New Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | New Orleans, LA | New Orleans pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,870 | $60,350 | $59,277 (+2.4%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $106,950 | $105,049 (+3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $77,940 | $76,555 (+6.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $81,850 | $80,395 (−3.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.