City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 11.1% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $111,100 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $323 a year higher in Lafayette, LA than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Lafayette, LA to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by +11.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,108 in Tucson | $90,003 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,081/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$323/yr.
38 Weak offer
Tucson, AZ → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.1%; 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; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Lafayette → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $47,220 | $42,499 (−11.0%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $123,710 | $111,342 (+2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $76,320 | $68,690 (+1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $94,110 | $84,702 (+3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.