City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Lafayette, LA (87.2) and Tuscaloosa, AL (87.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Lafayette, LA goes as far as $100,600 in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $972 a month in Tuscaloosa, AL versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Tuscaloosa, AL and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,121 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Lafayette, LA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by +0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lafayette, LA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,588 in Tuscaloosa | $99,415 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$2,121/yr.
67 Fair offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Lafayette, LA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$2,121/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lafayette, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Lafayette → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $60,220 | $59,868 (+25.3%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $104,870 | $104,257 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $71,690 | $71,271 (+5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $75,250 | $74,810 (−8.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.