City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Spartanburg, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spartanburg, SC are 4.4% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $104,400 in Spartanburg, SC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,083 a month in Spartanburg, SC versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Spartanburg, SC and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,229 a year higher in Spartanburg, SC 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 Spartanburg, SC changes real buying power by −4.2%, purely from prices.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- Spartanburg, SC: price level 91.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | Spartanburg, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,406 in Spartanburg | $95,780 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,083/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $47,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Spartanburg, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 68.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Spartanburg, SC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,229/yr.
56 Fair offer
Spartanburg, SC → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$2,229/yr.
83 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 Spartanburg, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Spartanburg, SC | Real change, Lafayette → Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $60,990 | $58,416 (+22.3%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $114,460 | $109,630 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $77,080 | $73,828 (+9.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $82,360 | $78,885 (−3.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.