City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 29.1% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $129,100 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,246 a year higher in New York, NY than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Lafayette, LA to New York, NY ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +29.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.7% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $129,073 in New York | $77,476 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −22.5%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$2,246/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +29.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$2,246/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lafayette, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | New York, NY | Real change, Lafayette → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | −8.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | −8.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | −8.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | −8.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | −8.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | New York, NY | New York pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $96,900 | $75,074 (+57.2%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $166,830 | $129,253 (+18.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $105,650 | $81,853 (+21.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $119,720 | $92,754 (+13.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.