City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 15.7% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $115,700 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $920 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT 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 Salt Lake City, UT changes real buying power by −13.5%, purely from prices.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,662 in Salt Lake City | $86,459 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$920/yr.
38 Weak offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$920/yr.
100 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 Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Lafayette → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −13.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −13.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −13.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −13.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −13.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $77,920 | $67,368 (+41.0%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $129,600 | $112,050 (+2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $82,100 | $70,982 (+5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $85,890 | $74,259 (−9.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.