City comparison
Durham, NC vs Lafayette, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Durham, NC are 11.9% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $111,900 in Durham, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $868 a year higher in Durham, NC than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Durham, NC to Lafayette, LA ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by −10.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.1% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
- 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
| Durham, NC | Lafayette, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 87.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,379 in Lafayette | $111,883 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $898/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $41,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Lafayette, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 58.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 87.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$868/yr.
100 Strong offer
Lafayette, LA → Durham, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$868/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Lafayette, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Lafayette, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Lafayette, LA | Real change, Durham → Lafayette |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | +7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | +7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | +7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | +7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | +7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $51,400 | $47,770 | $53,446 (+4.0%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $109,010 | $121,964 (−10.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $67,630 | $75,666 (−11.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $81,960 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.