City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Lafayette, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kansas City, MO are 6.1% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $106,100 in Kansas City, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,197 a month in Kansas City, MO versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kansas City, MO and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,149 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.6% moving from Kansas City, MO to Lafayette, LA ($108,173 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.4% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (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
| Kansas City, MO | Lafayette, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 87.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,236 in Lafayette | $106,116 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $898/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $41,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Lafayette, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 58.8 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 87.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,149/yr.
88 Strong offer
Lafayette, LA → Kansas City, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,149/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Lafayette, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Lafayette, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Lafayette, LA | Real change, Kansas City → Lafayette |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $61,722 | +4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $74,678 | +4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $89,508 | +4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $106,437 | +4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $125,776 | +4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $47,770 | $50,692 (−17.0%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $109,010 | $115,677 (−7.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $67,630 | $71,766 (−10.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $81,960 | $86,973 (+4.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.