City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Raleigh, NC are 12.6% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $112,600 in Raleigh, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $868 a year higher in Raleigh, NC than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Lafayette, LA to Raleigh, NC ($106,437 → $111,147), while prices change by +12.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.2% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,554 in Raleigh | $88,846 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Raleigh, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$868/yr.
37 Weak offer
Raleigh, NC → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$868/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lafayette, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Raleigh, NC | Real change, Lafayette → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,453 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,983 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,468 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,147 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,342 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $60,170 | $53,459 (+11.9%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $132,770 | $117,961 (+8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $81,950 | $72,810 (+7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $84,830 | $75,368 (−8.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.