City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 18.5% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $118,500 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $323 a year higher in Lafayette, LA than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Lafayette, LA to Phoenix, AZ ($106,437 → $111,338), while prices change by +18.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.7% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,469 in Phoenix | $84,410 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$323/yr.
38 Weak offer
Phoenix, AZ → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$323/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lafayette, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Lafayette → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,564 | −11.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,117 | −11.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,629 | −11.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,338 | −11.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,568 | −11.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $59,180 | $49,954 (+4.6%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $131,750 | $111,210 (+2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $80,820 | $68,220 (+0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $100,830 | $85,111 (+3.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.