City comparison
Killeen, TX vs Lafayette, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Killeen, TX are 4.5% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $104,500 in Killeen, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $990 a month in Killeen, TX versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Killeen, TX and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Lafayette, LA than in Killeen, 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 Killeen, TX to Lafayette, LA changes real buying power by +4.5%, purely from prices.
- Killeen, TX: price level 91.1 (much 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
| Killeen, TX | Lafayette, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.1 | 87.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,695 in Lafayette | $104,498 in Killeen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $990/mo | $898/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 | 15% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,660 | $41,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Killeen-Temple, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Killeen-Temple, TX and Lafayette, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Killeen | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 58.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 91.1 | 87.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Killeen, TX → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
83 Strong offer
Lafayette, LA → Killeen, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
55 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 Killeen, TX to Lafayette, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Killeen, TX | Lafayette, LA | Real change, Killeen → Lafayette |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Killeen, TX | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette pay in Killeen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,120 | $47,770 | $49,919 (−20.9%) |
| Software Developers | $123,320 | $109,010 | $113,914 (−7.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,270 | $67,630 | $70,672 (−3.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $93,440 | $81,960 | $85,647 (−8.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.