City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Louisville, KY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Louisville, KY are 6.7% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $106,700 in Louisville, KY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,047 a month in Louisville, KY versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Louisville, KY and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $769 a year higher in Louisville, KY than in Lafayette, LA.
- 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 Lafayette, LA to Louisville, KY changes real buying power by −6.3%, purely from prices.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,725 in Louisville | $93,699 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,047/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,798 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,382 (KY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $48,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 75.0 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 96.8 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Louisville, KY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$769/yr.
49 Fair offer
Louisville, KY → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$769/yr.
90 Strong 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 Lafayette, LA to Louisville, KY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Louisville, KY | Real change, Lafayette → Louisville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Louisville, KY | Louisville pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $61,610 | $57,728 (+20.8%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $110,270 | $103,321 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $76,320 | $71,511 (+5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $84,850 | $79,503 (−3.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.