City comparison
Crestview, FL vs New Orleans, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Crestview, FL are 4.8% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $104,800 in Crestview, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Crestview, FL versus $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Crestview, FL and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in New Orleans, LA than in Crestview, FL.
- 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 Crestview, FL to New Orleans, LA changes real buying power by +4.8%, purely from prices.
- Crestview, FL: price level 97.0 (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
| Crestview, FL | New Orleans, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 92.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,430 in New Orleans | $104,788 in Crestview |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,113/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,510 | $47,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL and New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Crestview | New Orleans |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.9 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 92.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Crestview, FL → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
84 Strong offer
New Orleans, LA → Crestview, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
54 Fair 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 Crestview, FL to New Orleans, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Crestview, FL | New Orleans, LA | Real change, Crestview → New Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Crestview, FL | New Orleans, LA | New Orleans pay in Crestview dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,330 | $60,350 | $63,240 (+4.8%) |
| Software Developers | $130,640 | $106,950 | $112,071 (−14.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,510 | $77,940 | $81,672 (+2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,260 | $81,850 | $85,769 (+5.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.