City comparison
Greeley, CO vs Lafayette, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Greeley, CO are 14.9% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $114,900 in Greeley, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,238 a month in Greeley, CO versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greeley, CO and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,078 a year higher in Greeley, CO than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.3% moving from Greeley, CO to Lafayette, LA ($118,675 → $106,437), while prices change by −12.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.0% in real buying power.
- Greeley, CO: price level 100.2 (about average)
- 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
| Greeley, CO | Lafayette, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 87.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,056 in Lafayette | $114,869 in Greeley |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,238/mo | $898/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,070 | $41,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Greeley, CO MSA and Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Greeley, CO and Lafayette, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greeley | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.6 | 58.8 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 87.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greeley, CO → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,078/yr.
100 Strong offer
Lafayette, LA → Greeley, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,078/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greeley, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Lafayette, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Greeley, CO to Lafayette, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greeley, CO | Lafayette, LA | Real change, Greeley → Lafayette |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $61,722 | +3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $74,678 | +3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $89,508 | +3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $106,437 | +3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $125,776 | +3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greeley, CO | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette pay in Greeley dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,160 | $47,770 | $54,873 (−8.8%) |
| Software Developers | $129,480 | $109,010 | $125,219 (−3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,240 | $67,630 | $77,686 (−11.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,300 | $81,960 | $94,147 (−2.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.